Into the Woods We Go Again
by Just-Met-A-Girl-Named-Maria
Summary: I wish...What did Cinderella wish at the end of the play? The Baker and his baby, Cinderella, Little Red, and Jack are all living together. They are poor and can barely afford to feed themselves. For different reasons, they all head back into the woods.
1. Chapter 1

_This idea just popped into my head. I probably won't be updating in a while, but please don't let that discourage you from reading! Please review! If i don't get feedback and see if people like it I probably won't continue. Enjoy!_

* * *

_I wish…_

What did she wish? Did she even know?

No.

She wished something…she just couldn't put her finger on it.

Did she wish her Prince hadn't left her? Not really. It was bound to happen sooner or later if that was the kind of man he was.

Did she wish she was back in her father's house? Of course not.

She did wish she could go see her mother…but the giant had destroyed the grave.

_What do I wish?_

Suddenly her thoughts were interrupted by Peter's cries. She turned her head in the direction of the crying and saw that Paul, the baker, was holding him and trying to comfort him.

"I don't understand…he usually calms down when I do that…" he said.

"Maybe he's hungry," Cinderella suggested. "I'll go feed him,"

Paul handed her the baby and smiled half-heartedly. Although he was eternally grateful that Cinderella had offered to nurse the baby until they could afford milk, it pained him greatly to see someone other than his wife doing it.

They had moved into a small hut with two rooms. The front room they used as the bakery, as baking was the only thing the baker knew how to do. Little Red, Jack, and Cinderella helped as much as they could to make as much bread and sweets that they could. Business had been slow lately since people had more important things to worry about than buying sweets because of the giant. They could barely afford to feed themselves.

Jack had gone out in search of other jobs to do, but many people had turned him down due to the fact that he had lower intelligence than the rest of the boys looking for jobs. Due to the fact that Little Red was still young, and a girl, she couldn't find a job wherever she looked. Cinderella kept herself busy by cleaning every little mess she saw in the little hut. The place was spotless every day. Cinderella also loved talking with Little Red. The girl had come to think of Cinderella as a mother. Cinderella also loved spending time with Peter. He was such a sweet baby.

Paul kept his mind off his loneliness by working. He baked, swept, and tended the fire all day. And then at the end of the day, he got to sit with Peter and tell him stories of his journey into the woods until he fell asleep. If he ever didn't have anything to do, he thought about Sarah too much, which never ended nicely. It pained him to look at Peter sometimes, as he had her eyes, and her lovely smile. But yet, it also comforted him to see part of his wife in him.

Cinderella rejoined them in the front room with Peter in her arms. She stopped to watch the way Paul put the logs into the fire. When he stopped he wiped his forehead and sighed heavily. There was so much pain in his eyes…Cinderella wanted nothing more than to ease that pain.

_I wish…_

"I guess he was hungry, then,"

"What? Oh yes he was," Cinderella smiled down at his tiny face. "He fell asleep,"

"Would you put him in the cradle?" he asked.

"Of course," with that she went into the back room and gently placed the baby in the cradle next to the bed that Paul and Jack shared. She watched him sleep for a moment. How nice it would be to have a baby of her own, with her own husband…

_I wish…_

_Stop Cinderella. It's not your baby. It's Sarah, and Paul's baby._

_I wish…_

Paul. Why did his name give her butterflies? Why is it that when their hands touched for just a moment when he gave her the baby, it sent shivers up and down her spine? Why did everything feel so right when she was with _his _baby?

Cinderella shook her head in attempt to clear the troubling thoughts. She picked up her broom and went back into the front to sweep. It looked like it needed sweeping. After all, she hadn't swept it since two hours ago.

"I'm hungry," Little Red sighed as she kneaded dough.

"Well there isn't any food we can afford to ear until suppertime," Cinderella reminded her.

"I know," Little Red said. "I wish we had more food,"

"You know, I have an idea," Cinderella said. "I heard there are bushes in the woods that bear different berries. Maybe we could go pick some?"

"I'll do it!" Little Red said excitedly. She was desperate to do anything other than knead bread, and put bread in the oven.

"Are you sure you'll be alright in the woods, alone?" Cinderella asked.

"I'll be fine," Little Red reassured her. "As long as I've got Granny's knife,"

"Don't go too far in," Paul cautioned. "If you go too far without finding any berries, turn right back around and come straight home,"

"Yes, please," Cinderella added.

"I will I promise," Little Red said.

_Into the woods I have to go, can't wait to leave so here I go. Into the woods it's time and so I must begin my journey._

Basket on her arm, Little Red skipped down the familiar path that led into the infamous woods.

_Into the woods I go again I might come out no telling when._

But it had been so long…and the last time she had gone, some strange things started happening…was this really a smart choice?

_But into the woods…_

Before she knew it, she was surrounded by trees.

_Into the woods…_

She wasn't afraid. She wasn't afraid of anything. She would get those berries so that their broken little family wouldn't starve.

"Into the woods, then out of the woods, and home before dark!"


	2. Chapter 2

_Thanks so much to all reviewers! Sorry for the wait, but here it is! Keep the reviews coming!_

* * *

Little Red skipped along the path that led into the woods. The farther she went, the darker it got. She had not come across any berries yet, but she wasn't ready to give up yet. She kept going and going, and then she heard rustling behind her. In a flash she pulled out her knife and whirled around. She stood there with her knife pointed in front of her.

"Who's there?" she demanded, no hint fear coming out of the young girl's voice. When there was no answer, she narrowed her eyes and took a step forward. "Who is there?" she repeated assertively. There was more rustling behind her and she whirled around again. Something jumped out in front of her and she screamed. Then it screamed. She screamed again, and then it, who seemed to be a he, screamed again.

"What the – "

"Please don't hurt me!" the strange he said covering his face.

"Wait…" Little Red yanked the boy's arms away from his face. "Jack?"

"Oh!" Jack sighed heavily with relief. "It's only you!"

"You stupid boy! Didn't you know it was me from the sound of my voice?" Little Red stuffed her knife away.

"I'm sorry! You never can tell in these woods!" Jack said.

"Wait…what are you doing _here?_" Little Red said. "Aren't you supposed to be in the village looking for work?"

"Well, I um, well," he stuttered. "Well what are _you_ doing here?"

"I was _sent_ here to pick some berries because we need food!" Little Red said. "Because unlike you, I'm capable of providing for this family because I'm not stupid!"

"I am perfectly capable of providing for this family!" Jack said. "I'm a man now!"

"No you're not! You're a stupid boy who can't even do what he was told!" She raised her voice angrily. "You're supposed to be in the village! What are you doing here?"

"I am not stupid!" Jack shouted in her face. "I know exactly what I'm doing! I don't need to find work in the village, because I have a plan!"

"Oh really? And when have your plans ever worked?" Little Red retorted.

"This time it will! I've thought about it very carefully!" Jack crossed his arms.

"You've thought? With what brain?"

"That's it!" Jack lunged for her, but Red simply sidestepped him so that Jack fell flat on his face. She howled with laughter and pointed at Jack lying on the floor.

"I don't know how you haven't been mauled by an animal yet!" she said between bouts of laughter.

Jack stood up, angrily dusting himself off. "Just for that, I'm not going to tell you my plan!"

"Why would I care about your plans?" Red said. "You need to get your head out of the clouds Jack. This is the real world, not that land of giants,"

"But that's just it!" Jack said.

"What do you mean?"

"We've got to go back to the land of the giants!"

Red burst into hysterical laughter again. "What an idea! Go back to the giants!" she continued laughing. "How many people are you trying to kill this time?"

"No really!" Jack said. "Remember – "

"Jack, you're really being serious?" Little Red said. "You really are dumber than I thought. Even if it wasn't a suicidal idea, which it is, there is no possible way to get up there! There aren't any magic beans left! And besides like I said, you'd kill everybody!"

"Oh contraire!" Jack said, a sly grin on his face. "There might not be any beans left, but you know what there is?"

Red crossed her arms and gave him a look.

"There are beanstalks! Tons of them!" Jack said excitedly.

"What on earth are you talking about?" Red said. "Remember the Witch? All those beans she threw?" Red looked at him like he had three heads. "Don't you see?" he said. "Those beans grew into beanstalks! Enormous ones! Just like the ones that took me to the giants in the first place!"

"What?" Red said. "That's crazy! I don't believe you!"

"It's true! I'll show you….as soon as I find them,"

"So what you're telling me is that you just know for sure that those beans grew into stalks, without even seeing them?" Red started laughing again. "You're a real crack up tonight, aren't you?"

"Oh I've seen them!" Jack said. "Listen to me: One night I couldn't sleep, so I got up out of bed and started wandering around the village. Then, out of the blue, I saw a million giant beanstalks shooting up into the sky! Oh, they were quite far away, but still, I saw it!"

"And how do you know you weren't dreaming?" Red said stubbornly. "After all, you said it happened at night,"

"It was real! I know it was!" Jack said. "You'll see! I'll climb that beanstalk, and it'll make us rich!"

"You'll do no such thing!"

"So you believe me?" Jack said.

"Well, I…of course not!" she stuttered. "But either way…you're not going to listen to me if I tell you to go home, are you?" "Nope!" Jack said proudly. "So then I've got to go with you," Red said. "As a part of your family, I've got an obligation to protect you, whether I think it's stupid or not. So I'm not letting you wander about by yourself, especially in these woods. You're staying with me,"

"More like you're staying with me," Jack said, his sly smile returning. "I know what direction to go, you don't. And since you've got an _obliteration_ to protect me, you'll just have to follow me,"

"An _obligation_ you dummy…" Little Red sighed, extremely aggravated someone as stupid as Jack had outsmarted her. "Fine. I'll follow you. But if I'm right, you'll do whatever I say, for the rest of forever,"

"Alright," Jack agreed. "But if I'm right, you have to kiss me,"

"What?" Red burst. "You can't be serious! You can't possibly think that I would – " Red stopped to look at the victorious glare in his eyes. "Oh fine! But only because I know I'll win!"

Jack stuck his hand out, and Red reached out and shook it firmly. "Then it's a deal," Jack said. "Now let's go,"

"Have you even got any idea where we are?" Red said. "Sure I do!" he said. "Well…not really…" Little Red sighed again. "How do you plan on finding it if you don't even know where we are?"

"Well, I was hoping you could help me…" Jack said. "You see…every time I've gone to find them, I've gotten lost. Of course I've always left a trail of breadcrumbs so I could follow the trail back home, but I've never come close, I don't think,"

"You're using our bread? No wonder we're starving!" Red said furiously. "That baby could die because we haven't got enough food!" she sighed. There was nothing to be done about it now. "Well how do you expect me to help you?"

"I was holding my compass when I saw them rising up, and I know they rose in the east," Jack said. "So if we just keep going east?"

"But there are millions of things to the east," Red said. "We could keep walking for days and never even come close to the beanstalks,"

"Well I'm not turning back now! This is the farthest I've ever gotten!" he said. "I'm going to keep walking whether you follow me or not. But if you turn around, you'll have to kiss me before you do,"

"Alright, alright!" Red said. "Eastward we go!"

"Hooray!"

"Shh!" Red said. "It's getting late, you don't want to attract animals do you?" Jack shook his head. "You'd better let me walk in front. I know where I'm going better than you do," With that the two headed eastward, Jack dropping breadcrumbs behind him.


	3. Chapter 3

_Enjoy and please review!_

_I wish…_

Paul gazed sadly down at his sleeping son.

_I wish my wife were still alive…_

How was he supposed to do this without her? If he didn't somehow find a way to provide for this household, his son would die. And he would have let her down. There had to be something he should do.

Sending Little Red out to pick berries might get them some food…but he was risking her safety.

No, she'd be fine. She knows how to handle herself in the woods. And Jack might find work soon. There would be extra money. He would keep his son alive. If it was the last thing he did, that boy would live.

It was times like this where he missed her most. When the house was quiet. When all he had were his thoughts. It mostly happened at night, but sometimes, things fell silent during the day. There was a deep aching inside of him, and in that moment all he wanted was for Sarah to be there to hold him, and kiss him, and tell him it would be alright.

He sat on his bed and fell apart, holding his knees to his chest.

* * *

Cinderella had just finished sweeping the house for the fifth time that day, and was about to go sweep the bedroom. She opened the door and froze, seeing what was before her. Paul was lying on his bed crying. She quickly shut the door, her heart racing. Her heart slowed, and it broke. She wished more than anything that she could bring back his wife and put an end to his misery.

That must have been it.

From a young age, she had seen so much suffering, first her mother when she was ill, and then her father when she died, and then herself…she hated seeing people unhappy. That was what she wished. She wished to make him happy again. But she couldn't could she?

She sighed and glanced out the window. She hadn't cleaned those in a while. She started getting to work scrubbing the windows. When she was finished, Paul had still not come out of the bedroom, so she took the bread out of the oven herself, and started a new batch. She was busy kneading the dough when he finally reappeared out of the bedroom, holding a crying Peter.

"Oh…I'm sorry…I would have done that myself…I just…"

"It's quite alright," Cinderella said. "I don't mind. I ran out of things to clean anyway,"

Paul smiled. "Do you think you could get him to stop crying? Nothing is working…again…"

"Of course," Cinderella wiped her hands on her apron and took the baby in her arms. Paul got to work on the bread. Cinderella glanced out the window again. "It's getting awfully dark…where is Red?"

"I'm sure she's fine," Paul assured her. "After all, she's got her knife. And she's a smart girl,"

"I suppose that's true," she said, gently rocking Peter in attempt to quiet him. "I think he's hungry…but we haven't got any milk left…"

"Well we can't let him go hungry!" Paul said stuffing the dough in the oven and rushing to take his son. "What do we do?"

"You could go around asking for milk," Cinderella suggested.

"You mean…like beggars?" Paul said.

"What other choice do we have?" Cinderella said.

"You're right," Paul said. He walked outside and walked from house to house asking if anyone had spare milk. Since everyone else was also poor, he didn't have much luck.

_"Please, ma'am, his mother was killed by the giant, he's hungry,"_

_"Please sir, he hasn't got a mother to feed him,"_

He returned home with half a bottle of milk. "Will this do?" he asked Cinderella.

"Let's hope,"

They fed Peter the milk, and he was quiet again, and he fell asleep. "Hopefully he'll sleep until breakfast…" Paul said, knowing that wouldn't be true. "What are we going to do?" he looked up at Cinderella tearfully.

Cinderella's heart shattered again. "I don't know…we can only hope that Jack finds work soon…or that his cow gives milk eventually…"

"But what if he doesn't? What if he starves? I can't let that happen! I can't let her down!" he was shouting.

"Shh!" she shushed him, seeing Peter stir in his arms. She took Peter and laid him down in his cradle and quickly returned to Paul's side.

"I'm sorry," he said, quickly regaining his composure.

"Look," Cinderella said. "We'll find a way, alright? He isn't going to starve. I won't let it happen,"

Paul nodded. "Thank you," he said. He returned to his bread making.

* * *

"Jack, it's getting very late," Red said. "We really should turn around,"

"Just a little longer!" he said. "We're almost there! I know it!"

"Jack, it's going to be dark before we get home if we keep going! We haven't even got a lantern!"

"If we find the beanstalk, we won't need a lantern! We'll just find some light in the home of the giants that live there!"

"Jack, this is ridiculous!" Red said. "That poor baby is probably starving, and so are Paul and Cinderella! We've got to bring these berries back now!"

"But – "

"Aha!" Red said. "I've got you now. If I turn back home without you right now, you'll get lost in the dark,"

"You wouldn't!" Jack said, although he knew very well that she was quite capable of doing such a horrible thing. "You couldn't! What would you tell Paul and Cinderella? They'd never forgive you!"

"It would be one less mouth to feed!" Little Red said, turning around and following the trail of crumbs home.

"But…but wait! Wait!" Jack shouted. "Red wait!"

"I'm not giving into you this time!" she called behind her.

"Wait!" Jack ran after her. "I'm coming!"

They walked silently back home, each one more aggravated with the other. They had been walking for quite some time, when they came across a broken tree.

"Wait a minute…" Red said. "We didn't pass this tree on the way there…"

"But that can't be right!" Jack said. "I left a trail of bread crumbs, and now we're following it!"

"You're right…I'm just being silly…we must be going the right way…" with that she continued to lead them further. Her stomach began churning. What if she had gotten them lost?

_But that's impossible, _She thought. _I followed the trail Jack left. Unless…_

"Jack, did you see else anyone on your way into the woods?" Red said.

"Well…now that you mention it, there were two little kids that I saw, but I don't think they saw me. A boy and a girl I think,"

"Jack! Don't you see? They must have left a trail of crumbs too! We're following the wrong trail! We're following their trail! Who knows where we're going!" Red's heart was pounding.

"Oh _no!" _Jack exclaimed.

"This is your fault! If you hadn't insisted on finding those stupid beanstalks!"

"Well you were the one who followed the wrong trail of crumbs!"

"Well you left the trail, and hadn't bothered to check if there was another!"

"You were leading the way!"

"Alright!" Red said. "Enough! Arguing isn't going to get us anywhere. The sun has started to set. We might as well just follow this trail. If it doesn't lead us home, it will lead us to a different village where we can get shelter and directions home. If not, it will lead us to wherever those two kids were going, and they can tell us where we are. Right?"

"Um, right," Jack said.

"Alright. Then let's keep following this trail,"

* * *

Cinderella was pacing the floor nervously. "The sun is setting. Something must be wrong. Usually Jack is home by now and Red should be back too,"

"You're right…" Paul said. "I never should have let her go into the woods alone…if anything happened to her…"

"You'll find her," Cinderella said. "I know you will,"

"I'll hopefully be back soon," Paul said lighting his lantern and opening the door. "Mind the baby,"

Cinderella nodded. "Good luck," She shut the door behind him.

_Into the woods I have to go I hate to leave I have to though, into the woods it's time again to take another journey…_

___Into the woods to find the kids…_

* * *

Suddenly, cries rang out from the bedroom. Cinderella ran to Peter's cradle and tried to quiet him. _He must still be hungry…_He had barely eaten anything all day. What was she to do? She rocked him back and forth and tried to get him to sleep, but he just wouldn't stop crying. She put her shawl on and went outside and knocked on the neighbor's door.

"Excuse me…this baby has barely eaten at all today…please, if you have any milk…"

"That's the same baby who was here before!" the woman at the door scoffed. "That scum lied! You're his mother! You weren't killed by any giant!"

"No! I'm not his mother!" Cinderella cried. "I've never had a child before! If I did I would be feeding him myself! Please you have to believe me!"

"If you're not his mother, then who are you?" the woman asked.

"I'm a friend of the baker's," Cinderella explained. "He needed help raising the baby after his mother was killed. There are two other children living there who also lost their families. Those two children are both missing after we sent them into the woods to find food. Paul went to find them. The little girl went to pick berries…when Paul finds them I can repay you with berries…please!"

"Sounds like a load of lies to me," the woman said. "Get off my property,"

"No, please!" the woman shut the door in Cinderella's face. Cinderella walked off the woman's property and began to cry.

_What do I do?_

She suddenly got an idea. It sounded brilliant, but then she realized what it would mean. She would have to go back on everything she said. Who knew what would happen? But if it meant getting this child fed, she would do it. She headed back to the cottage and wrote out in icing on a piece of bread:

"Went to the Prince to get milk for Peter, be back soon."

She wrapped Peter in an extra blanket to keep him warm in the cold, dark woods. She lit a lantern and pulled her shawl over her shoulders again and ventured outside and followed the path into the woods.

_Into the woods it's time to go it may be all in vain I know, into the woods but even so I have to take the journey._

_Into the woods the path is straight I know it well but who can tell…_

_Into the woods to see prince, to ask for milk, to quiet the child…_


	4. Chapter 4

___Hello all! So I know there are people reading this, but I need feedback! I don't know if you all like it or not! Some reviews would be fabulous! Thanks so much and enjoy!_

* * *

"Red? Jack?" Paul's voice echoed through the trees. "Red! Jack!" he called their names again. He had been walking for quite some time now, and he hadn't come across any sign of them. He looked down and stopped walking. He bent over and examined the ground closer. Were those breadcrumbs?

He thought for a moment. Red wasn't one to leave a trail of breadcrumbs…but what about Jack? Maybe if he followed that trail he would find Jack, or maybe both of them! He confidently started following the trail, but then he hesitated, seeing that it led off the path. What on earth was Jack doing straying from the path? In fact…what on earth was Jack doing in the woods? Shouldn't he have been in the town searching for work?

"Oh no…" Paul shook his head. Jack must have gotten one of his _ideas... _"Jack, you foolish boy!" he rushed off the path and followed the trail of breadcrumbs.

* * *

"Red, I really can't see a thing!" Jack said, moving closer to her. "It's pitch black!"

"Don't worry!" Red said, for about the hundredth time that night. "As long as I can still see the breadcrumbs, we're fine!"

"But you can't see anything else!" Jack said. "And who knows what animals come out at night – "

"Stop worrying! I've got my knife! We're perfectly safe!" Red said again, becoming irritated with his constant worrying. His worrying was only reminding her how worried she was. "We'll be there soon, I know it,"

They kept walking, and sure enough, Red was right.

"Look! I see light!" Jack exclaimed, pointing ahead.

"Thank _goodness!" _Red said. "See; I told you. Now come on!"

The two of them ran towards the light and they burst through some branches, and they both stopped dead in their tracks.

"Are you seeing this too?" Jack said.

"I think so…" Red said, her mouth hanging open. They were staring at a house. But the house wasn't made of wood, or bricks. It was made of candy. And pies. And cakes. And so many other kinds of delicious things. Red's stomach grumbled, and she remembered how hungry it was. All she had eaten all day was a small piece of bread. She had never gotten home to eat her dinner, which would most likely be just another piece of bread.

"It looks delicious!" jack ran toward the house.

"No!" Red grabbed his arm. "Don't touch it!"

"Why not?" Jack whined. "All I've eaten today is a piece of bread! Both of us didn't have any dinner!"

"It could be cursed! Or poisoned!" Red said logically. "And besides, we could upset whoever lives in it!"

"Well, why don't we just knock on the door," Jack said, trying to sound as logical as Red. "Those kids obviously did, the trail of breadcrumbs stops here,"

"That's true…" Red said.

"They must know whoever lives here, right?" Jack said.

"I mean…I guess…" Red said, although there still was something that wasn't quite right about that house…but then her stomach growled again, and all logic and reason left her head.

"You're right. We haven't eaten all day," Red said. "Just a few bites maybe…"

Jack beamed at her, and the two of them raced towards the house and started to look for things to eat. Jack broke off a piece of chocolate. Underneath the chocolate was icing that was holding the bricks of chocolate together. When he finished the chocolate he scraped off the icing with his hands and licked it off. He ate the rest of the bricks in that fashion. Red picked off the gumdrops that lined around the windows. Then she too began to scrape icing off and licking it from her hands. Coming out of the ground were flowers that were really all different kinds of caramel apples. They each grabbed one and began ravenously eating it. Any idea of only eating a few bites had completely vanished from their heads.

Suddenly, the front door burst open. The pair of them froze mid-bite into their candy apples.

"Why hello, dears!" a strangely sweet voice sounded. They both whirled around to see a tall, thin lady standing in the doorway. They both quickly hid their apples behind their back and stared shamefully at the ground.

"Why, whatever is the matter?" the lady moved closer to them. "Oh! You were hungry! You poor dears look like you haven't eaten all day!" when they didn't respond, she moved closer to them. "You can eat as much as you'd like. In fact, why don't you come inside? I've got plenty more where that came from!"

"You have _more_ sweets?" Jack said.

"Of course I do! Would you like to come in and see?" Jack and Red looked at each other. "Of course you do! Do come in!"

"Sorry ma'am…but we really have to get going…our mother is probably wondering where we are…" Red inched away from the lady.

"I'm not about to send you anywhere without feeding you properly!" the lady said. "Now come in! I insist!" she grabbed both Jack and Red's arms and pulled them inside. Once she had gotten them in the house, she shut the door and locked it.

Red and Jack's jaws had both dropped. There was a giant table filled with more sweets than they had ever imagined.

"Well don't just stand there!" the lady said. "Eat up! When you're finished I'll give you a lantern, and you can head on home to your mother. I'll even give you some sweets to bring home to her! Wouldn't she like that?"

Again, all skeptics and reason left both their heads as they ran towards the table and began to dig in. They hadn't ever eaten this much food in their lives. Time went by, and they hadn't even reached the middle of the table yet when they plopped down in chairs and sighed, holding their stomachs.

"Had, enough have you?" the lady said. Jack and Red nodded.

"Now, we must be going," Red said, her speech slurred. She tried to stand up, but simply fell back into her chair. Something wasn't right. Her head felt very light. All thoughts were quickly leaving her head.

"Not so fast dear!" the lady rushed to her. "You look simply exhausted! I am certainly not letting either of you into those woods as tired as you are!"

"But…" Red began, but stopped, forgetting what she was about to say.

"That's a good dear," the lady patted her head. "Now come. I've got beds upstairs that are just waiting for you,"

She grabbed Red and Jack's hands and led them upstairs. They followed, not even considering how strange it was that she had beds that were already ready for them to sleep in. They had also not even realized that a strange lady whom they had never met had taken them in her house, and locked the door, and was now leading them to sleep in her house. Their minds were moving far too slow at the moment to be able to realize that anything was wrong with what was happening. They also hadn't thought to figure out why all of a sudden after eating food made by the lady that they felt so very tired, and that their minds were moving so very slow.

When they reached the top of the stairs, she led them to a door that opened to reveal a large room with two luxurious looking beds. Resting on one bed, which had purple sheets on it, was a pretty white nightgown. Resting on the other, which had mint green bedding, was striped cotton pants and a button down shirt made to match the pants.

"Now, you two put on your pajamas and get some rest," the lady gently shoved them further into the room. "While you sleep, I'll prepare a basket for each of you to bring back to your mother," the old lady smiled the biggest smile they had ever seen. "Sweet dreams,"

Jack and Red changed into their pajamas and crawled into the wonderfully comfortable beds and fell fast asleep, not noticing the click of the lock after the lady shut the door.

* * *

Cinderella walked as quickly as she could through the woods, trying the best she could to muffle Peter's cries, as to not attract the attention of animals. She was very uneasy being out in the woods this late, especially with a baby- a baby that wasn't even hers no less. But if she didn't do it the baby would starve, and she wasn't going to let that happen. She had promised Paul.

Again, her stomach flipped at the thought of him, and her heart started racing. She breathed deeper to stop these strange things from happening, and shook her head in order to clear the troubling thoughts that had surfaced in her mind.

Peter's crying had gotten louder and louder, and her heart broke for the poor thing. "Shh, it's alright," she rocked him gently. "We should be there soon…I hope,"

She held the lantern up in front of her and looked as far down as she could, but there was still no sign of the castle that she had once called home. Her stomach flipped again, but this time it was a different kind of flipping. After she had turned away from him, and he had walked away, she swore she would never look back to watch him leaving, and that she would never look back on her days in the castle.

But now here she was on her way to that same castle, to beg that same prince for food for a child that wasn't hers.

"It's strange how something that was once so important to me doesn't mean a thing anymore…" she said thoughtfully, and continued her long walk to the castle.

* * *

Paul was following the trail of breadcrumbs, when he came across something that deeply puzzled him. The trail simply stopped. He searched franticly around, worry setting in. There were no signs they had been attacked. No blood, no ripped clothes, no baskets or knives left on the ground. In his search, he came across another trail of breadcrumbs. He looked back and forth between the two trails. Maybe they had just stopped to rest and just continued the trail going that way? But where on earth were they going?

Or perhaps this new trail was left by someone else, and they followed it home thinking it was their trail. Either way, it didn't sound good. Paul hurried down this new trail, desperate to find those kids.


	5. Chapter 5

Just when Cinderella thought she'd never reach the castle, she saw it in the distance. She picked up her pace, hope starting to set it.

"It's alright," she whispered to Peter. "We'll be there very soon, and then you won't be hungry anymore," she kissed the baby's head.

Soon enough she was at the gate that surrounded the castle. Standing right there were two guards.

"Who are you? What do you want?" one of them said.

"Hello, I'm Cinderella," she said, struggling to muffle Peter's crying. "I need to speak with the prince, it's very important,"

"If you are just another peasant that has come to beg for food, I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave,"

"Please sir, you don't understand," Cinderella begged. "We have no money, and this baby has no mother – "

"If he has no mother, then what does that make you?"

"I'm a friend of his father," Cinderella explained. "He's only had half a bottle of milk all day, and he's hungry, and who knows when we'll have enough money to buy him more milk – "

"I've heard it all before," the guard said, rolling his eyes. "Now if you don't leave, I'm going to have to escort you away from this gate and back to the dirt you came from,"

"Please!" Cinderella begged, tears in her eyes. "I've come such a long way, and this poor thing has been crying the whole time! He's going to starve!"

"Please ma'am, you need to leave,"

"Please, I'll give you anything I have just – "

"That's enough!" the guard grabbed Cinderella's shoulders and started pushing her away from the gate.

"Wait! Wait!" Cinderella cried. "I-I-I know the prince! I'm, a good friend of the prince!"

"I've heard that one before!"

"No really!" Cinderella escaped from his grip and looked him in the face. "I'm Cinderella! The princess!"

"Of all the ridiculous – "

"Look at me!" Cinderella demanded. She wiped the dirt off her face. The guard looked at her, not recognizing her at all. "Wait! Look what I've got!" Cinderella pulled out a piece of fabric from one of her dresses that she had worn in the castle. "A simple peasant couldn't afford that, now could I?"

The guard looked at the fabric, then at Cinderella's face. "If I find out you're lying to me…"

"I swear!" Cinderella said. "I would never lie! Everything I say is true!"

"I could have your head, girl," the guard said, dangerously close to her face.

"I promise you," Cinderella said calmly. "I really am Cinderella,"

"Alright then…" he said reluctantly. "Follow me…"

"Thank you sir! So much – "

"Save it," he snapped at her. Cinderella shut her mouth immediately.

She followed the guard through the tall gates and into the castle. They walked through vast hallways and up grand staircases, all things Cinderella had come to be used to just months ago. This strange place, this terrifying building guarded by horrible people used to be the place she called home. She used to be sitting in her own throne, waiting for peasants like her to come speak with her. And now here she was, shivering with fear inside the place she once called home.

They reached a large door, and the guard knocked on it.

"Come in," a chillingly familiar voice sounded from the other side of the door.

The guard opened the door. "You're highness, this peasant insists upon seeing you…she says she knows you,"

Cinderella looked at him, feeling smaller than ever. Sitting beside him was a beautiful girl with hair as gold as the sunshine, and lips that shamed the red rose.

"Could it be?" the prince said, rising from his chair. "It is! Cinderella, my dear! Do come in!"

The guard escorted her further into the room.

"You may leave us," the prince said to the guard.

"Yes, your highness," with that, the guard turned and left, shutting the door behind him.

"My dear girl! What has happened to you?" he said, observing her dirt covered body and her tattered clothes.

"The giant has destroyed everything," she said.

"Oh my! Well you certainly can't keep going on looking like _that!_" The prince said. "I will send for my servants to clean you up, and get you out of those rags!"

"Why won't that child stop crying?" the woman sitting beside him said.

"That's the reason I've come," Cinderella said, mustering up all her strength to be able to ask this disgusting man for his help. "He hasn't eaten all day. We've no money to buy milk, and his mother was killed by the giant. We need milk for him, or he'll starve,"

"The poor dear!" the woman said tragically. "I'll send for someone to feed him immediately!" She pulled a rope that was dangling beside her, and in less than a minute, someone came running in.

"This child hasn't eaten all day!" the woman said. "Fetch him milk immediately!"

"Oh and get a bath prepared for the girl in our nicest guest room," the prince smiled.

"That won't be necessary – "

"Nonsense!" the prince scoffed. "I'm not letting you stay the night with dirt all over you,"

"Your highness, I have no intention of staying the night – "

"Oh but I simply can't send you back into the woods this late!" he said. "Who knows what animals could get to you, or that baby!"

"Darling, how do you know this girl?" the woman asked.

"Oh! Silly me!" the prince said. "I forgot to introduce you! Cinderella, this is Aurora, my dear wife. Aurora, this is Cinderella. She's…an old friend," the prince said, winking at Cinderella. Cinderella gave him a disgustedly confused look.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Aurora shook Cinderella's hand. "Any friend of his is a friend of mine,"

"Thank you, your highness," Cinderella bowed.

In no time, a servant had come rushing in with a bottle of milk. She handed it to Cinderella who thanked her whole-heartedly. She fed the wailing Peter the bottle, and he instantly quieted.

"Thank goodness!" Aurora said.

When he finished the bottle, Cinderella burped him, and he fell right asleep. She beamed down at the sleeping baby.

"Thank you so much your highness," Cinderella bowed. "Thank you…I don't know how I could ever repay you…"

"Oh, no need for that!" the prince said. "Get that child a cradle at once. And escort the girl to her bath,"

The servant nodded and extended her arms to take the child, but Cinderella shook her head. "I would prefer to put him to bed myself, thank you,"

"Alright then," the prince said. "Escort her to the cradle, then her bath,"

"Thank you again, your highnesses," Cinderella said.

"No trouble at all!" the prince said.

"Have a nice sleep dear," Aurora smiled. Cinderella smiled back, then turned around and there was instantly a scowl on her face. _What an animal he is…_

She hated to have to stay the night in _his _castle as _his guest. _And she felt terribly guilty for being able to spend the night in luxury while the rest of her "family" slept in their broken little cottage. Thinking of her "family" reminded her that Red and Jack had gone missing. She wondered if Paul ever found them…if Paul was safe. She would be worried sick all night.

The servant led her to a room with a cradle inside it with abundant children's toys and books lining shelves. Cinderella placed him in the cradle and kissed his head.

"My room is near by?" Cinderella asked.

"Yes ma'am," the servant replied. Cinderella nodded and the servant led the way to Cinderella's room, which, as promised, was right down the hall.

"Thank you very much," Cinderella said. She entered the bathing room and soaked in the hot bath. Even thought it was supposed to be making her clean, she felt dirtier than ever.

When she finished she dried herself off and found a nightgown lying on her bed. She put it on and crawled into bed, worry clouding every thought in her head. There was a horrible knot in her stomach thinking of the terrible things that could have happened to those children in the woods.

Just when she had finally put her mind at ease after convincing herself Paul had found the children and was drifting off to sleep, the door opened. She sat straight up and looked around.

"Who's there?" she said nervously. Then the figure of a man stood before her, and her jaw dropped. "What are you _doing?"_ She asked, absolutely disgusted.

"Seeing you today stirred some wonderful memories," the prince said inching closer to her.

"Excuse me?" she said covering herself with her blankets.

"Don't pretend my dear," the prince said, sitting on the bed beside her. "I know you felt it too,"

"Felt what?" Cinderella inched away from him.

"Desire my dear," he grabbed her face and kissed her passionately. Shocked beyond belief she pulled away and slapped him hard across the face.

"How _dare _you!" she shouted. "You have a wife!"

"I know," he smiled. "You deny it now, but in a few minutes you'll be just _begging…"_

"Leave me alone!" Cinderella demanded standing up out of bed.

"Please…I just know you felt it too…" the prince said. "Think of all the wonderful times we had…the wonderful nights we spent together…"

"They were wonderful back then, but then my view on you changed," Cinderella spat. "You're a pig! A disgusting pig!"

"I would watch what you say dear," he said. "I am royalty you know…and I would hate to see anything happen to that beautiful baby, or the rest of your little family for that matter,"

"You wouldn't," Cinderella said, anger boiling up inside of her.

"You know perfectly well what I'm capable of," he said. Cinderella was so close to losing all control, and beating the living daylights out that animal, but she just took a deep breath.

"I have no intentions of being your mistress," she said calmly.

"I just need to relive it…just once, and I will be satisfied,"

"No," Cinderella said simply. "Please leave me,"

"Where did you say the boy was sleeping? Just down the hall?" he said with an evil smirk on his face. He stood up and walked to the door. In a wave of panic, Cinderella cried:

"Wait!"

He turned around slowly, a look of victory in his eyes. "I knew you'd come around, my dear,"

* * *

Paul trudged on, following the trail, his lantern burning dimmer as each minute passed. After many hours, he began to think this trail would never end. Then there was a light ahead of him. He started to run, knowing that whatever that light was, that was where the children were. He pushed away some branches and vines to reveal a small little cottage with smoke puffing out of the chimney. He rushed to the front door and knocked on it urgently. The door opened, and standing there was a tall, thin lady.

"Can I help you?" the lady asked.

"Yes…I'm looking for two children…about this high…a girl with black curls; she wears a cape made of wolf's skin…and a boy with a green vest and blonde hair…I followed a trail of breadcrumbs they left and it led here…have you seen them?"

"No…I'm afraid I haven't," the lady said. "Terribly sorry,"

Paul sighed sadly. "That's alright…I must keep looking…" he turned to head back in the woods to keep searching.

"Wait,"

Paul spun around. "Yes?"

"You want something…very badly…" she said.

"Well…yes I want to find those children – "

"Something impossible you want…" she said, staring at Paul as if she could see inside his head. "And you know very well that it's impossible,"

"I'm sorry, I don't have time for this," Paul turned away again.

"Let me think," the lady continued, although Paul didn't acknowledge she was speaking. "You want to rule the land…to win the heart of a girl who wants nothing to do with you…to bring someone back from the dead…"

Paul stopped dead in his tracks. "What?"

"Ahh," she said. "That's it then isn't it?"

"What do you wish?" Paul said bitterly, still not turning around.

"It's not what _I _wish, it's what _you _wish," the lady said cleverly. Paul screwed up his face in confusion. He had heard that before…but where…? "You want to bring someone back from the dead…don't you?"

Paul sighed angrily and finally turned around to face her. "I do. But what does it matter? It isn't possible,"

"Nothing is impossible," her lips curled up into a wicked smile.

"What are you talking about?" Paul said.

"Who is it?" the lady ignored his question. "A mother? A father? A son? A daughter? A wife…?"

Paul's heart stung. "What does it matter to you?" he snapped at her.

"It matters very much to me dear," she said. "Because I can make it happen,"

"What?"

"That's right!" she said, her smile now a fully insane grin. "I can bring your dear wife back from the dead!"


	6. Chapter 6

_Enjoy and keep the reviews coming!_

* * *

"You're insane!" Paul said. "I don't have time for this!"

"Are you sure you want to walk away from this, lad?" she said. "Wouldn't you give _anything_ to be able to hold her one last time…to feel her close to you again…to smell her wonderful scent…to kiss her…"

"Stop that!" Paul shouted, angry tears streaming down his face.

"Now, now!" she said. "There is no reason to get upset! You will be able to do all those things…give your son a mother…the real family he deserves…"

Paul stared her down for a moment. How did she know he had a son? Then he thought of just being able to hold her again…to be able to give his son a mother again…all logic vanished out of his mind.

"What must I do?"

"Ahh, there it is!" she said, a slight glow of insanity in her eyes. "Do come inside, won't you?"

She led Paul inside and sat him down at the long table in the center of the room.

"Gingerbread cookie?" she asked, holding a plate of little gingerbread men out to him.

"No, thank you,"

"Now, just in case you're still skeptical," the lady said, sitting down across from him. "Just close your eyes and listen,"

Paul gave her a skeptical look, then shut his eyes.

_"Paul,"_

Paul's heart leaped.

_"Paul, I'm here,"_

"Sarah?" Paul exclaimed, joy dancing all over his body.

_"Where is Peter? My beautiful son…I want to hold him Paul…I want to hold you…"_

"I want to hold you! Sarah, come back! Please come back!"

He stood up and opened his eyes, which were quite damp.

"You see," the lady, whom Paul had guessed was a witch, grinned.

"Alright," Paul said anxiously. "What must I do?"

"You must go up into the land of the giant, and bring me back the berries that grow on their bushes,"

"But how? There isn't any way to get there,"

"There are beanstalks," she said thoughtfully. "Many, many beanstalks,"

"Where?"

"You'll have to find it yourself!" she giggled. "Then all you do is bring me to her grave. I'll do my magic there,"

"That's all?" he said. "I don't have to pay anything?"

The witch let out a high pitched cackle. "Of course you have to pay!"

"Well, what must I pay? I'll pay anything!"

"Your _son_," she said, her evil grin returning.

"What?" Paul stumbled back. "No! Never!"

"Then your wife stays dead as a doornail! Ha-ha!" she let out an insane giggle.

"Please…there has to be something else I can give you…"

"Well…" she witch said thoughtfully. "I could make a deal with you,"

"You could?"

"When your wife comes back, you are to have another child…a girl," she said. "Give her to me,"

"Yes, that's fine!" Paul said.

"But you do know that there isn't any way you can get out of it. No matter how attached you get to the child, no matter how much you beg, or where you hide, I'll find you. And I will get the child. Understand?"

"I understand perfectly," Paul said. "Thank you so much I don't know how I could ever – "

"Go to the wood!" she snapped at him. He nodded frantically and got started on his search for the beanstalks. But where on earth does one find a beanstalk? Where did he start? He simply started walking into the woods and away from the cottage, hoping that if he just kept walking he would eventually come across it.

The witch smiled wickedly to herself. She snapped her fingers and the plain cottage transformed once again to the magical house covered in sweets. She was quite pleased with herself. Not only had she managed to get herself the baby girl she'd always wanted, but she had managed to distract the man who was looking for the newest children that had wandered into her trap.

* * *

Red slowly woke up. With her eyes still shut she rolled over onto her other side and sighed. The bed she was in was so very comfortable. She curled her toes under the soft blankets and buried her face in the sweet scented pillow her head was resting on. But then she began to realize. Her bed wasn't that comfortable. She had never even seen a bed this comfortable. Her eyes flashed open, and her worst thoughts were true.

She wasn't in her bed in Paul's cottage. She was in the luxurious bedroom in a strange lady's house made of sweets. She sat straight up and looked around at her surroundings. Beside her was a small table with a candle on it and a glass of water. She pulled back the covers and explored further. At the foot of the bed was a chest full of toys just meant for a little girl. She reached in and pulled out a beautiful doll with perfect blonde curls. She smiled brightly and cradled the doll close to her. How she wished she had a doll like that. All her toys had been destroyed when the giant stepped on her mother's house.

Still smiling and holding the doll, she made her way to the bureau that was against the wall across from the bed and the chest. She opened a drawer and pulled out a beautiful dress. It was a soft blue color and was lacy around the neck. She held it up against her and smiled. It fell down to her ankles. It flowed down like a pretty waterfall. She put that dress back and began to examine the rest of them. They were all a wonderful variety of colors and styles. She wanted to wear all of them.

But then it occurred to her: why did this lady have dresses and toys that a little girl would love?

Red put all the dresses back and placed the doll on top of the bureau. She walked over to the chest at the foot of Jack's bed. Sure enough, there were plenty of toys in there perfect for a little boy. She shut the chest and went through the bureau across from Jack's bed. There were fancy clothes in there for a boy just Jack's size. She put the clothes back and stood back for a second.

Something wasn't right. In fact, something was wrong. Very wrong.

And if that wasn't strange enough, Red suddenly remembered that after they ate the sweets, they were both suddenly exhausted and couldn't think straight. Red's heart started pounding. That lady was no lady. She was a witch. And a clever one. But she wasn't more clever than Red.

Red rushed to Jack's side and shook him awake. "Jack! Jack! You've got to get up! Now!"

"Leave me alone!" Jack shooed her and turned away from her.

"No really!" Red said, pulling away his blankets.

"Hey! Cut it out!" Jack pulled the blankets back up.

"Stop that!" Red pulled them back down. "We're in danger!"

"What are you talking about?" an aggravated Jack sat up and rubbed his eyes.

"That isn't just any lady, she's a witch!"

"You're crazy!" Jack said.

"Well if she doesn't have magic, how does she have a house made of sweets?" Red said crossing her arms.

"Alright, so what? She seems really nice!"

"Jack, don't you see?" Red said franticly. "We got tired after we ate food that _she_ made! There was some kind of spell on it! She wanted to make sure we stayed the night! And do you think it was just a coincidence she had two beds, two bureaus and two chests full of things for a boy and a girl?"

"You're right!" Jack said, leaping out of bed. "We've got to get out of here!"

"Come on, maybe we can sneak out!" Red said running to the door, and Jack followed. Red turned the knob, but it wouldn't budge. "It's locked!" she said.

"What do we do?" Jack said worriedly.

"The window!" Red said. "Quick find something heavy we could break it with! I'll tie all these blankets together and make a rope for us to use!"

Jack began to search through both chests to find something to break the window, when suddenly the door opened. Red's heart practically leaped out of her chest.

"Good morning, sleepy heads!" the witch said much too sweetly. "I do hope you slept well. My dear, what are you doing?" her insanely wide eyes rested on Red, who was tying blankets together.

"Um, I was..." Red franticly searched her mind for something to say. "We were playing a game," she said quickly.

"Yes," Jack said. "We were gonna tie this..." he pulled a stuffed bear out of the chest. "...bear to the end of it and make him fly," he looked at Red for approval, and she nodded proudly.

"Such imaginations!" the witch smiled widely- too widely. She took the blankets from Red. "I see you found this doll," she said, grabbing the doll off the bureau. Red nodded. "Isn't she beautiful?"

"Yes ma'am," Red said quickly.

"Wouldn't you like to keep holding her?" the witch moved closer to Red.

"Yes ma'am,"

"That's a good girl," the witch said, placing the doll in Red's arms. "Now, you two get dressed. Pick whatever you like. I'll get some breakfast ready,"

"Yes ma'am," Red said. The witch left and closed the door behind her.

"Well now we have no rope," Jack said. "We can't just jump out the window,"

"I know," Red said.

"What'll we do?"

"We'll just get dressed and go downstairs, just like she said," Red said. "But don't eat any food, no matter what you do,"

Jack nodded. The two picked out clothes and quickly dressed and headed downstairs.

"Oh my, don't you look beautiful!" the witch said, looking at Red. She had chosen the blue dress. "And aren't you a handsome young lad!"

They nodded quickly and sat down next to each other. The witch came over holding two plates in her hands and placed them in front of them. There was a sticky bun, a doughnut, and a candy apple on each plate.

"Eat up!" the witch said. Jack and Red looked at each other, then picked up their apples and pretended to eat them. "There you go! I'm going to go make your beds!" and she disappeared up the stairs. As soon as she was out of sight, Red took their plates and dumped the food into the fireplace. "That way, it'll look like we ate it," Red explained in a low whisper. She ran to the front door and tried to open it, but as she thought, it was locked.

"Should I break the window with my chair?" Jack whispered.

"Good idea," Red said. Jack picked up his chair and swung it at the window, but Red grabbed his arm mid-swing.

"She's coming!" Red sat down in her chair and started licking her empty plate. Jack quickly put his chair back and did the same.

"Oh you enjoyed it, did you?" the witch beamed at them. "Wouldn't you like some more?"

"No thank you ma'am," Red said. "We're quite full,"

"Oh I insist!" she said, placing another plate if sticky buns, doughnuts, and apples in front of them. They looked at each other again and Red got an idea.

"Excuse me ma'am?" Red said sweetly. "Last night, I felt something under my mattress, and it made me quite uncomfortable. Can you go fix it please?"

"Of course my dear!" the witch said, and she disappeared upstairs again. They dumped the food into the fireplace again and Jack got his chair and threw it at the window with all the strength he had. Sure enough, the lollipop window fell apart, leaving an opening for the two of them to escape. Red hopped up and out the window and Jack lifted his leg, but suddenly there was a hand on his shoulder. He froze. Red gulped nervously.

"Where are you going?" the witch asked, her voice now sounding much, much too sweet. "Aren't you enjoying yourselves?"

Neither of them said a thing. "You didn't mean to _leave_, did you?"

They both stayed silent.

"Well," she said, her voice now sounding like a squeak. "If that's the way you want it to be,"

She yanked Jack back inside and threw him to floor. She then reached her hand out the window and snatched Red by the hair and dragged her back in and threw her beside Jack.

"I try to be nice!" she said, her voice now quite frightening. "I give you sweets, toys, beautiful dresses, and nothing is ever enough for you brats!" she unlocked a door that opened to reveal a dark, windowless room. "No matter what you say, children won't listen!" She seized both of them by the ear and dragged them through the doorway. They both struggled to be free of her grasp, but she had too good of a grip. She threw them on the damp floor and locked the door. There were two cages in the corner. Jack's eyes widened. In each cage was one of the two children he had seen dropping breadcrumbs.

"You see them?" the witch snarled. "They tried to be clever, just like you, and that's what happened!" she unlocked the cage that held the boy and yanked him by the arm.

"I suppose your time is up boy!" she said.

"No please!" the girl cried from inside her cage. "Please don't eat my brother! Put me in the oven instead!"

Red and Jack exchanged horrified looks. She was going to _eat_ the boy?

"Shut your mouth you brat!" the witch snapped at the girl. She unlocked the cage and snatched one of her blonde braids and pulled her out of the cage. "Come on! Let's go!" she pulled them towards the door, their blue eyes filled with tears. "While your brother eats one last meal to fatten him up, you are going to prepare the oven. Is that clear?"

"Yes ma'am," the girl said tearfully. With that she threw the two children out the door and then came back to Red and Jack. She shoved Jack into one cage and Red into the other. She locked the doors and then hurried out to where the other children were waiting, shutting them inside the dark room.

* * *

Paul opened his eyes to the strange woods around him. He tried his hardest to remember where he was and why he was there…until he realized…he didn't know where he was. He was supposed to be looking for the children. How had he managed to get himself lost?

Then memory came rushing back. The witch he had met last night…he had completely forgotten about the children! He had preoccupied himself with finding the beanstalks that he hadn't searched for the children!

His head and his heart pounded. Because of his careless foolishness, those children could have been hurt…or killed. Guilt consumed him as he franticly continued his interrupted search.

"Jack! Red!" he called. "Jack! Red!"


	7. Chapter 7

_Thank you so much to all reviewers!_

* * *

Cinderella woke up slowly, feeling sick to her stomach and her head pounding. She felt quite strange. She turned over, and her eyes widened. She nearly vomited. Memory of the previous night came rushing back and her head began spinning.

_What have I done…what have I done…_

Lying next to her was the prince. She suddenly became aware that she was wearing absolutely no clothes. She sat up and meant to run for the bathing room as quickly as she could, but then the prince stirred, and she instantly covered herself and pretended to still be asleep. She was no longer facing him, but she felt him get off the bed and heard the rustling of his clothing. Her bedroom door opened and shut, and she listened for his footsteps until he couldn't hear them any longer.

She simply lie in bed, feeling disgusted with herself. Her entire body burned with guilt. Her stomach lurched horribly and she got up and ran to the bucket that was in the other room.

When she finished, she simply lie on the wooden floor and cried. She had let him win. She had let him play mind games with her again. She had let him do all of those…_disgusting _things to her…

She suddenly felt dirty. As if he had left his dirt all over her body. She pulled a rope that would call for a servant and quickly put her nightgown on and tried to make herself look like less of a mess.

"You rang, Miss?"

"Oh, yes," Cinderella said. "Could you get a bath for me, please?"

"Of course," the servant said. She got a hot bath ready for Cinderella and she made a face at the bucket that she had wretched in. "Are you feeling alright, Miss?"

"I'm fine," Cinderella said quickly. "Sorry…"

"Quite alright," the servant said quickly, trying not to look at the bucket that she quickly carried out of the room. "It is my job,"

Cinderella quickly got in the bath and instantly began scrubbing her entire body. She wanted any trace of him gone. When she finally felt clean again, she sat back and tried to relax. But every time she thought she had succeeded, she remembered yet another thing that she had let that animal do to her and she would panic and begin scrubbing herself. She went on like this until the water was ice cold.

Shivering, she jumped out of the tub and wrapped herself in a towel. She walked over to her bed and noticed that her rags had been cleaned, folded nicely, and placed on the bed, along with Peter's blankets and his poorly made clothes. Lying beside them was a simple cotton dress that Cinderella assumed was for her to wear. She didn't want to wear anything that came from him. She thought to just put her rags on, but then the prince would simply insist that she return to her room to put the dress on, and the less conversation that happened between the two of them, the better. She reluctantly put on the dress, when suddenly she heard the sound of Peter crying.

She hurried down the hall and into Peter's room and scooped him up out of his crib. She noticed he had also been cleaned, and his diaper had been changed. Although annoyed that somebody else had cared for the child, Cinderella simply brushed it off and tried to quiet him. He calmed down in no time, and Cinderella kissed his head. A knock sounded on the door.

"Miss?" said a young servant. "Breakfast is ready,"

"Thank you," Cinderella said. "We'll be right down,"

She carried Peter downstairs into the dining room. She didn't have the stomach to eat anything, so she simply kept feeding Peter until he refused to eat any more. Who knows when he would get another bottle of milk after this?

"Aren't you going to eat, dear?" Aurora asked.

"I'm not feeling too well at the moment," Cinderella said, guilt burning up again.

"Well, you must take some food home then," she insisted. "You'll need it later anyway; you and whoever his father is mustn't have any food for yourselves either,"

"No, I'm afraid not," Cinderella sighed. "We try to give the children most of the food,"

"Children? You mean there's more?" Aurora said.

"Well they're much older," Cinderella said. "Jack is thirteen and Red is eleven," her mind suddenly drifted to them, wondering if they were safe.

"The poor dears," Aurora said. "Now, they aren't yours?"

"No, their parents were killed by the giant, and Paul and I, Peter's father, have been taking care of them,"

"You kind soul," Aurora said. "You do so many good things, yet you live the way you do. It isn't fair,"

Cinderella shrugged. "Yet we still manage,"

"Well I'm not sending you home without food for your little family," Aurora said, calling a servant over.

"That won't be necessary – "

"Nonsense," Aurora said.

"I don't want to take advantage – "

"Why don't you live here then?" Aurora said, her eyes lighting up. "You and your family! You could work for us! Of course we'd give you a decent job, but then you wouldn't have to feel guilty about being fed by us – "

"Oh, no," Cinderella said rather quickly, her eyes widening. She couldn't live in the castle with that man. "I can't –"

"I'll speak to my husband about it at once –"

"No!" Cinderella cried.

"Why ever not?" Aurora said.

"I…I can't live here…" Cinderella said. Panic began washing over her. "I must go,"

"Wait," Aurora said. "I'm sorry…I didn't mean to upset you…please just at least let us give you some food?"

"Alright," Cinderella said. "Fine,"

So Aurora had servants load up a wagon with all kinds of meats, and fruits, and vegetables, and cheeses. Attached to the front was a cow.

"You kept every bit of it," Aurora said. "Even the cow. That way the little one will never go hungry again,"

"Thank you so much your highness," Cinderella said, although in her head she was wondering how they were supposed to care for the cow. She would only end up running dry, and then they'd have two useless cows on their hands. "I don't know how I could ever repay you,"

"There's no need," Aurora said. "Good luck with your family. And please, do remember my offer,"

"I will," Cinderella said. "Thank you again, so very much,"

"Goodbye!" Aurora said, waving as Cinderella walked off, leading the cow with a rope.

"Goodbye!"

* * *

Red and Jack sat shaking with fear in their cages.

"Jack?"

"Yes?"

"I…I'm scared…" Red said, tears building up in her big brown eyes.

"D-d-don't worry," Jack said, although he was clearly worrying. He never thought he'd see the day when Little Red Riding Hood would be scared. "We'll think of something, right? We always do,"

"But we're locked in a cage!" Red cried, her tears spilling over. "What'll we do?"

"Don't cry, please don't cry!" Jack said, feeling quite helpless. "I-I'll think of something," And when he said that, Red began to cry even harder. He knew that was quite a dumb thing to say, being that one of his ideas had gotten them here in the first place. He just couldn't stand to see her cry.

"I…I'm sorry," Jack said. "This is my fault. You were right. We should have just stayed on the path," Red shook her head and opened her mouth to speak, but the only thing that came out was more sobs. "I admit it: there are no beanstalks. I really am stupid. You win. Hey! You won!" Jack said cheerily. "You won. Now I have to do whatever you say for the rest of our lives," she still didn't stop crying. "Isn't that great? You won,"

"By the rest of our lives you mean the next five minutes?" Red managed to get out before breaking into absolute hysteria again.

"Oh you're right!" Jack wailed. He too began crying.

* * *

Meanwhile, outside the door, the witch was stuffing all kinds of sweets into the boy's mouth, and the girl was thinking frantically of things to save her brother.

"What are you waiting for, girl?" the witch snapped at her. "Open the oven!"

"Open the oven?" the girl said, suddenly getting a wonderful idea. "Open the oven?"

"Yes!"

"But I haven't the slightest idea how," the girl said.

"What do you mean?" the witch said, her patience thinning. "You just…open the door,"

"How?"

"What are you talking about?" the witch spat.

"I'm terribly stupid," the girl said, and her brother instantly knew what she was planning.

"It isn't that difficult!" the witch shrieked. "You take the handle, and you pull on it, thus opening the door!"

"Could you say that again, a bit slower?" the girl said.

The witch looked like she was about to explode. "Grab handle. Pull back with hand. That's it,"

"Could you say the second part again?"

"For heaven's sake!" the witch screamed. "Look at me, you little idiot! You take the handle, and pull on the door! Look it's open!"

"Oh!" the girl said. "So that's how you do it!"

"Yes, you idiot," the witch rolled her eyes. "Now put the logs in and start a fire,"

"What?"

"Do you need me to do that to you little brat?"

"Oh, no! If you would just explain it to me – "

"Oh shut up!" the witch demanded. "I'll just do it myself!" She took the logs and pushed them all the way to the back. The girl waited until most of the witch's body was inside the oven, and she shoved on her backside with all the strength she had. She quickly shut the door and put the lock on it.

"What? Let me out, you brat!" the witch shrieked.

"Quick, let's go!" the boy said.

"Wait! We've got to free those kids first!"

* * *

Red and Jack sat in their cages hugging their knees, still crying. Suddenly, the door burst open, and they jumped.

"It's alright!" said the voice of a young girl. "We're going to rescue you!"

The blonde haired girl unlocked Red's and Jack's cage. Still too shocked, they didn't say anything. Suddenly a crash came from the other room.

"My brother's broken a window," she said excitedly. "Let's go!"

Red and Jack followed the girl out of the dark room and saw that the blonde boy had already gotten out the window. The girl straddled over it and landed on the grass. Jack did the same, and Red lifted her leg, but her dress was stuck and she wouldn't move. Jack was pulling on her arm, desperately trying to get her unstuck. Suddenly, the oven door burst open and the witch appeared in a cloud of purple. Her eyes were mad with fury. Absolute terror overtook Red and she ripped her dress and tumbled onto the grass. The four of them began running as fast as they could, the witch shrieking behind them, whatever magic spells she had not reaching the distance they had run.


	8. Chapter 8

The four children collapsed on each other and panted with exhaustion.

"Do you think we're far enough away?" the blonde boy asked.

"I think so," the blonde girl panted.

Red looked up at Jack and buried her face in him, the shock of it all finally getting to her again. Surprised, Jack stared down at her, but then he wrapped his arms around her and let her weep on him. The brother and sister sitting with them were also holding each other. Jack tried his hardest not to cry too. After all, he was a man.

After they had all caught their breath and calmed down, Red realized that she was lying in Jack's arms and wrenched away from his grip and inched away from him. Jack smirked. _She can't resist me! _

"Thank you for saving us," Red said to the children.

"It's what any decent person would do," the girl said. "I'm Gretel. This is Hansel, my brother,"

"I'm Little Red Riding Hood, Red for short," Red said proudly. "That's Jack," Jack waved at the two of them.

"What an odd name," Hansel said.

"Hansel, hush!" Gretel scolded.

"It's alright," Red said, smiling. "I know it's odd. That's just the way I like it,"

"So...Red, do you have any idea where we are?" Gretel asked.

Red looked around her, realizing that they had all simply ran, not having any idea where they were going; and quite frankly, they didn't care where they were going, as long as it wasn't that house. "Well…no…not exactly…"

"Me neither," Gretel said. "How will we get home?"

"I don't know…" Red said.

"What'll we do?" Hansel said nervously.

"Just try to relax alright?" Gretel said soothingly. "We'll think of something,"

Red wanted to agree with her, but she just couldn't see how they were going to get out of this one.

"At this rate, mother and father are certainly looking for us," Gretel said. "They're bound to come across here soon,"

"And Paul is looking for us," Red said to Jack.

"But who knows how far away we are from home," Jack said. "These woods are huge!"

"Alright, well it seems to me like we have two choices," Gretel said, trying her best to keep everyone calm. "Either we stay here and wait for someone to come to us, or we keep walking and see if we come across a path of some sort,"

"There are good things and bad things about both choices," Red said thoughtfully.

"That's right," Gretel said. "If we stay here, someone could find us, but on the other hand, we could be so far away from home, no one will know to look here,"

"But if we search for a path," Jack added. "We could get more lost,"

"Right," Gretel said. "But if we stay here, how will we find food?"

"What if we run into the witch again?" Hansel said.

"I think we'll have a better chance of survival if we search for a path, a town, or more people," Red said. "People that aren't witches, of course,"

"I agree with Red," Gretel said. "Does everyone agree?"

Not knowing which choice to pick, both boys simply nodded their heads.

"Good," Gretel said. "Who's got a good sense of direction?"

"I do!" Red said, quite proudly.

"Alright, which way do you think best to go first?"

"Well, first, let's listen for running water," Red said. "That usually always leads to a town,"

They all fell silent and listened as hard as they could for running water. None of them heard anything.

"Alright, well I guess we'll just keep walking until we hear water," Red said.

"You're pretty smart for a girl," Hansel said.

"Hush!" Gretel scolded again. Red gave him a look, but didn't say anything.

"Follow me," Red said. She headed off towards the direction where there were the least trees, and everyone followed, very much hoping that she knew what she was talking about.

* * *

Paul had kept searching until he found a gently flowing stream. He started to follow the stream, knowing that most running water lead to villages. He kept walking, and his head suddenly began to feel light. He sat down and held his head. What was wrong with him? He then remembered he hadn't eaten anything in the past two days except a sliver of bread. He had been trying to give as much food as he could to Cinderella and the children. He insisted he didn't need that much. But how he regretted that now…

He shook his head and got up to continue searching. He wouldn't get distracted again. But now all he could think about was food. And as he went on, his head got lighter and lighter until he could hardly see anymore.

_I'll just sit down…just for a little bit…_

He sat down and his limbs grew weak until he couldn't feel them anymore, and everything went black.

* * *

"Shh! Everybody listen!" Red cried. The four children stopped moving and listened.

"Water!" Jack exclaimed.

"Follow me; I'm following the noise," Red carefully listened and went in the direction she heard the water. Soon, just as Red had said, there was a stream.

"Thank goodness!" Gretel exclaimed.

"Now we just follow this, and we should find a village in no time!" Red beamed. She was right, as she usually was. They followed the direction that the stream was flowing with joyful hope setting in.

* * *

When next Paul opened his eyes, he was in a strange room that he had never seen before.

"Mama!" he heard the voice of a young girl. "He's awake!"

There was the sound of little footsteps, and then a young face appeared.

"Hello sir," the girl said sweetly. "I found you in the woods. My mama is going to make you all better,"

Paul went to respond, but then a large woman appeared. "Excuse me dear," The girl moved out of her way. "How long have you been in the woods without any food?"

"About a day…" Paul said. "But there isn't too much food at home either…"

"Well that's quite alright," the woman said. "You'll stay here, eat some good food and get your strength up – "

"No, I can't stay," Paul said, getting up. "I've got to find them,"

"Wait!" the woman stopped him from leaving the room. "You can't leave, you'll faint again,"

"But I've got to find them…"

"Find who?"

"My children," Paul said. "Well they're not exactly my children, but…"

"Is that why you were out there?" the woman said. "How long have they been missing?"

"It's probably been over a whole day…" he said, his heart pounding. "Who knows what happened to them by now…"

"We mustn't lose hope," the woman said. "Please, at least eat something, and then you can be on your way,"

"Thank you,"

* * *

"Look! A town! Just like you said!" Hansel said.

"Oh how wonderful!" Gretel exclaimed.

"Let's run!" Red said. All four children started bounding toward the little village. They reached the first house that they saw and Red pounded on the door. A large lady answered the door.

"Hello ma'am," Red panted. "We've been lost in the woods…and we haven't the slightest idea where we are…"

"Wait a moment…" the woman walked into a different room, and returned with someone they hadn't expected.

"Paul!" Red exclaimed. She ran to him and threw her arms around his waist. Jack soon followed.

"Red! Jack!" Paul said. "I've been so worried…where were you?"

"It's a long story!" Jack said.

"It doesn't matter," Paul said. "All that matters is you're safe," he then noticed the two blonde children standing in the doorway. "And who is this?"

"That's Gretel, and that's Hansel," Jack said.

"They helped us escape the witch's house," Red said.

"Witch's house?" Paul said. _They were at a witch's house..._

"Yes! It was covered with sweets!" Red said. _Must not be the same witch then…_

"She tried to lock us in a cage!" Jack said. "She tried to eat Hansel!"

"But Gretel unlocked our cages and we escaped!" Red said. "And then we followed a stream to this town, and you're here!"

"What a story!" Paul chuckled.

"How would you all like to stay for something to eat, and then you can all head home?" The woman suggested.

The five of them ate with the woman and her daughter, and they got directions home from where they were. Hansel and Gretel lived in the village right next to Paul's, so they would take them home first, and then continue on to their house.

They went on their journey, and soon they had to drop off Hansel and Gretel.

"Thank you again for saving us," Red said, hugging Gretel, then Hansel.

"No trouble at all," Gretel said.

"Write to us?" Red suggested, and Gretel nodded.

Red, Jack and Paul watched as Hansel and Gretel were smothered by their parents, and then they walked off towards their own town.


	9. Chapter 9

_Just in case anyone is interested, if you are a fan of Les Miserables, which some of you probably are considering Into the Woods is a musical and so is Les Miserables, then check out my Les Miserables fic! It's called A Change in Me. Thank you!_

* * *

Cinderella had arrived in town, getting many strange looks from everyone, being that she was bearing many expensive things, including a cow. She tied the cow up next to Milky White and walked inside. She noticed much to her dismay that the piece of bread she had written on had not been moved in the least. Paul, Jack, and Red were also nowhere to be seen. Paul's lantern and hat were also not in their place. Her stomach churned with worry. If they weren't back yet, then what had become of them?

She placed the sleeping Peter in his cradle and hurried outside and to the neighbors to ask if they had seen them. Just as she was about to knock on the door, she heard a familiar voice.

"Cinderella!"

She whirled around to see the little girl running towards her. "Red!" she ran away from the neighbor's house and towards Red. She scooped her up and hugged her.

"I've been so worried!" Cinderella said, now letting Jack join their embrace. "I've been worried sick!"

"We were so scared we'd never see you again," Red said. "Well, I wasn't scared,"

"Of course not," Cinderella laughed. She released her grip on the children and ran to Paul. "I'm so glad you're alright," However she stopped herself from embracing him. He had a wife that he still loved. It wasn't her place to do anything like that.

"How's Peter?" Paul said, suddenly remembering his son. He ran inside and Cinderella followed. "He's fine," she said. Paul found him sleeping in his cradle and scooped him up.

"I've missed you my son," he said, kissing Peter's head. "What's this he's wearing?"

"Wow!" Jack's voice sounded from outside. "Now I've got two friends!"

"Look at all this food!" Red exclaimed. Paul went outside and saw what the children were talking about.

"Where did all this come from?" Paul asked.

"Well, Peter was still hungry, and I couldn't quiet him down. I didn't know what else to do…I went to the castle and got milk for him there, and the…" Cinderella cleared her throat. "The Princess insisted that I take all this with me, including another cow,"

Cinderella's mind wandered to that horrific night and she shuddered.

"Are you alright?" Paul asked worriedly.

"I'm fine," Cinderella assured him.

"So this is all for us?" Red said, overjoyed.

"Yes," Cinderella smiled.

"But not to eat all at once," Paul said. "After all this is gone, it's back to just bread. So you'd better make it last,"

"I'm not hungry now anyway," Jack said.

"You aren't?" Cinderella said.

"No!" Jack said. "If I tell you why, you won't believe it!"

Cinderella gave Paul a questioning look.

"I'll tell the whole story, by the fireplace!" Red said, pulling Cinderella inside by the arm. Cinderella laughed. They carried the food into the cellar, and by that time, the sun was beginning to set; it was the perfect time for stories by the fire.

"Alright, now some of this story is very hard to believe, but you have to believe me," Red said. Cinderella and Paul nodded. "And you can't interrupt me. _I'm _telling the story," she said to Jack.

"Well what if I want to help?" Jack said.

"You can tell the story the next time we get kidnapped," Red said, figuring that was a fair deal.

"Kidnapped?" Cinderella gasped.

"Oh don't worry," Red said. "Just listen to the story. So I met up with Jack in the woods, and we planned to follow his trail of breadcrumbs home, but we followed the wrong trail. The trail we followed led to a strange house deep in the woods. You know why it was strange?" Cinderella shook her head. "It was made out of sweets. It was incredible. It was almost like magic. Now I knew it was a bad idea to eat any of it, because it could have been poisoned or have a spell on it. But Jack insisted that we eat some because – "

"Hey!" Jack interrupted. "You wanted to eat some too!"

"Hush!" Red said. Paul and Cinderella chuckled. "Alright fine, I agreed…reluctantly," Jack rolled his eyes. "We were enjoying all the sweets, when the front door opened. Standing there was a sweet looking lady. She asked us to come inside, but we said politely we had to be going home. But she wouldn't let us leave. She pushed us inside and made us eat even more. After we ate, we started to feel very sleepy. So the lady pushed us up the stairs and put us to bed, in a room that conveniently had two beds in it. I woke up, and that's when I realized that something wasn't right. That was when I knew she must be a witch. I woke Jack up and tried to tell him, but he wouldn't believe me. So I had to – "

"This isn't important to the story!" Jack protested.

"_Hush!_" Red said. "Fine. We tied blankets together and were about to break open the window and climb out, but then the witch showed up. She made us put on some of the clothes that were in the furniture in our room, which is why we're wearing different clothes, and she made us go downstairs and eat even more. But I was clever. I distracted her and we pretended we ate the food. We tried to escape, but she caught us. Then she stopped being so nice. She dragged us into a dark, damp room. There were two cages. There were two other children already in the cage. 'I guess your time is up!' she said to the boy. And the girl was crying 'Please don't eat my brother!'"

"She was going to _eat_ the boy?" Cinderella said, horrified.

"Yes! She took the other children out and threw us in. We waited and waited, wondering what would happen. But thanks to the clever girl Gretel, we got out of our cages. I went to the window that was smashed open and went to climb out, but my dress got stuck. I pulled and pulled, but it wouldn't move. Then, the witch got out of the oven – "

"The witch was in the oven?" Cinderella asked.

"Oh, yes, Gretel pushed her in," Red explained. "Anyway, she got out of the oven, and I thought I was going to die, really I did. But then I ripped my dress and Jack pulled me out and we ran far away from that house!"

"Oh my!" Cinderella gasped. "What a frightening story!"

"And it all really happened!" Red said. "I swear!"

"How did you end up finding Paul?" Cinderella asked.

"Well, this time it was my turn to be clever. I said we should find running water, because that always leads to a village. We did, and Paul was there! We got lucky, I guess," Red shrugged.

"Well I certainly am glad that everything turned out alright," Cinderella said.

"Wait," Paul said. "Jack, what were you doing in the woods?"

Jack's face turned bright red.

"That's right…shouldn't you have been in town looking for work?" Cinderella said.

"Well…I…" Jack stuttered. "I'm sorry! I was looking for beanstalks!"

"Beanstalks?" Cinderella said, her face screwed up in confusion.

"Beanstalks?" Paul said, his heart lifting.

"Yes! The witch threw those beans, and I saw them rising into the sky! I thought if I found them and brought back some gold that I could help our family, but all that happened was us getting kidnapped by a witch," Jack hung his head.

"Jack, what you did was very foolish," Cinderella said. "But it's alright. You were only trying to do what you thought was best for the family. All that matters now is that you're safe. Let's just forget all about it. Alright?"

"Yes ma'am," Jack said. Cinderella pulled him into a hug.

"It's getting late. Off to bed for you two," Cinderella said She handed Peter to Red and she and Jack hurried off into the bedroom.

"So, you went back to the castle?" Paul said.

"Yes…" Cinderella sighed. "I was reluctant to do it but I couldn't stand to hear Peter cry anymore, the poor thing…"

"And you were alright…seeing him?" Paul said.

Her body shook again. "It was…strange…that's all,"

"Are you sure you're alright?"

"I'm fine," but she was quite far from fine. Memory started to rush back. She felt the dirt all over her body again. Her head started to pound and her stomach lurched again. She swayed and grabbed onto a chair. Paul caught her before she could fall over.

"No you aren't," he said. He sat her down in a chair. "Do you need water?"

"No…" she held her pounding head. Suddenly, she started crying.

"What's wrong?" Paul rushed to her side.

"I…" she tried to explain herself, but she only cried harder than before. She sat there pathetically with her face buried in her hands. Paul sat there awkwardly, very unsure of what to do. He awkwardly put his arm around her and she leaned into him. Caught by surprise, he stared at her for a moment, then he brought her closer and held her like a crying child.

"What happened?" Paul asked.

"The Prince…" she choked out between sobs. "He…he…I…I didn't want to…he was going to hurt Peter…"

"Cinderella, what did the Prince do?" Paul said, although he was starting to get a good idea.

"He…he…" she started crying harder again. "He forced me to…to…" She couldn't get any more words out. Paul's heart broke for this broken girl. A man that she had once called her husband, and then so deeply hated, had forced himself on her. He couldn't even imagine how horrifying it was. He held her comfortingly, trying to calm her down.

Although Cinderella was crying, she suddenly felt a sense of safety and happiness. She was in Paul's arms.

_I wish…_

And that was when it clicked.

_I wish he loved me like I love him…_

Cinderella wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her face in his strong chest.

_I love him…_

But how could this be? Why would this happen? He still loved his wife.

But time heals all wounds doesn't it? She would just wait. And then they could be together. For now, she would just cherish moments like this.

She would just have to stop her spinning head, quiet her pounding heart, and calm her flipping stomach every time she looked at him. She would just have to resist the ever-controlling urges to run and hold him.

But right now, she was in his arms, being comforted by him. He was making it all better. In that moment, she knew she would be alright.

In that moment, she was…perfect. That was a good word for it. Perfect.

Paul was perfect.


	10. Chapter 10

_Thank you all reviewers! Tell me what you think!_

* * *

"What's wrong?" Red asked as Cinderella walked into the bedroom, her eyes red and puffy.

"Nothing," Cinderella said, quickly thinking of something to say. "I'm just so happy that you're all safe,"

"Oh, alright," Red smiled and got into bed. Cinderella sighed with relief. She got into her nightgown and crawled into bed next to Red. She fell asleep quickly, praying that there wouldn't be any dreams.

* * *

Darkness. That was all Red could see. It was cold and wet, and dark. It was quiet. In fact, it was almost too quiet. Something should have made noise by now. Then there was a crash and sudden light. Someone had opened a door. Red's heart started pounding, and breathing became difficult. Stalking towards her was the witch. Her hands were reaching out; ready to snag Red out of the cage she was suddenly aware she was sitting in. She inched further and further back until she was pressed against the back of the cage, with nowhere else to go. She let out a pitiful whimper of fear. The witch wrenched open the door and yanked Red out by her hair, raising a loud scream from the little girl.

"Quiet, you little wretch!" the witch snapped at her.

Red bit her lip, trying not to cry. She was dragged into the kitchen, which was much larger than she remembered. Far in the distance was a frightening fire. Red's eyes bugged out of her head when she realized that's where she was going.

"No, please!" Red cried, trying to get out of the witch's grasp. "I'll be good, I promise! Please!"

"Shut up!" the witch shrieked, pulling harder on Red's hair, causing her to scream again. They were getting closer to the oven, and the fire was getting larger and larger. Red's body shook with terrified sobs.

"No! No! Please!" she shrieked. She was starting to feel the heat coming from the oven. Sweat formed in droplets on her forehead. Her heart was pounding faster and harder than she thought possible, and her entire body was quivering and shaking with horror.

"I'll be good! Please!" she cried again. They got closer and closer, until she felt her very skin burning.

"Please! Please! No!" She was in absolute hysterics. "No! _No_! **_No_**!"

The witch let out a deafening cackle as she tossed the screaming child into the angry flames.

"**_No!_**"

Her body was being shaken, and there was darkness again.

"Red!" A familiar voice was calling her. "Red!"

Red opened her eyes. Leaning over her was Cinderella. She wasn't in a fiery oven, but rather her own bed, in Cinderella's arms. She was panting so hard, for she thought if she stopped she wouldn't have enough air to stay conscious. She stared up at Cinderella for a moment.

"It's alright," Cinderella rocked her. "It was only a dream,"

Red let out a little sob, and then buried her face in Cinderella. She continued crying quietly, muffling her cries in Cinderella's nightgown. Cinderella let her own silent tears fall, for she had been having nightmares of her own. Horrific images swirled in her head. She felt his disgusting hands all over her…she felt pain…everywhere…

And then Red had screamed, waking her up. She sat straight up, her heart pounding and tears streaming down her face. She pushed her own thoughts away and set straight to comforting Red.

"Shh," Cinderella stroked Red's sweaty head and rubbed her shaking arms. "It's alright. It was only a dream. You're alright,"

Red had finally begun to feel safe again, and she had cried all her tears. "The witch…" Red panted. "She locked me in the cage again…she was dragging me…and she threw me in the oven…it was so hot…"

"Shh, it's alright," Cinderella whispered. "You're safe and sound, right here in this room. The witch is far from here, and I swear I won't ever let her touch you,"

"You promise?" Red raised her eyebrows and looked up at Cinderella.

"I promise," Cinderella said, grateful for the darkness that surrounded them. She didn't want Red to see the distraught hysterical woman that was really there. Red fell fast asleep in Cinderella's arms. Cinderella positioned her comfortably, and then she lie back down again, and continued her crying until she too fell asleep again.

* * *

The next morning, Paul was awake first. He sat up and saw Jack still sleeping, and then he remembered. Jack knew about the beanstalks.

"Jack," Paul shook the boy gently. "Jack wake up,"

"What?" he sat straight up. "Is the house on fire again?"

"Shh," Paul said, not wanting to wake Peter or Red and Cinderella who lie just across the room. "No, the house is fine. You said something yesterday about beanstalks?"

"Oh, yes…I know…it was stupid to believe they were still there," Jack hung his head.

"No, not at all," Paul said. "I believe you,"

"You do?" his face lit up.

"Yes, I do," Paul said. "In fact, I want to help you find them,"

"You do?" he said, really getting excited.

"Of course," Paul smiled.

"Wow!" Jack said. "When can we go?"

"Today if you'd like," Paul said.

"Wow!"

"But, we mustn't let Cinderella or Red know," Paul said. "They don't believe you like I do, so they won't let us go. We'll have to come up with a story,"

"I could say I'm just going to look for work," Jack said. "And you could say you're joining me so I don't wander into the woods again,"

"Well done Jack!" Paul smiled. "Then it's settled,"

When Cinderella and Red woke, they all ate some bread and Jack milked the new cow, who he had decided to name Milky Brown, because she was a brown cow. They fed Peter and Paul was overjoyed when Peter didn't cry when the bottle was empty. Paul and Jack did manage to get out of the house, and they set off into the woods.

_Into the woods to get the gold! _Jack smiled at his cleverness.

_Into the woods to save my wife… _Paul's heart soared. If Jack was right and there really were beanstalks, he would be holding his wife by tomorrow.

They went deeper and deeper in the woods.

"Make sure you're going east," Jack reminded him.

Paul glanced at his compass and nodded. "How far must we go?"

"Well…I'm not exactly sure," Jack said. "I only saw them rise in the east, I don't know how far,"

"Oh," Paul said. "That's alright. I'm sure we'll find them soon,"

But time went by, and there was still no sight of any beanstalks. Fear began to set in. What if there really weren't beanstalks? What if there really wasn't any chance of getting Sarah back?

Jack's stomach flipped. He was going to look like a foolish boy again, but this time, it was directly in front of Paul.

It was the middle of the day, and still nothing. Jack sighed. "I'm sorry…I guess they were right…there aren't any beanstalks after all,"

"Don't lose hope yet," Paul said. "It's only been a few hours,"

They kept walking, and just when even Paul was going to make them turn around, Jack stopped him.

"Wait!" Jack had cried. "I think I see one!"

He began running through the trees and Paul followed. He stopped dead in his tracks. Standing right in front of them, was a great, big beanstalk.

"I knew it!" Jack said. "Look! There's more!"

Paul's jaw dropped. It seemed as if it was an entire forest of beanstalks! His heart soared again. He was going to have Sarah back! His son would have a mother!

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Paul went to climb it.

"Wait!" Jack said, and Paul froze. "I have got anything to cut them with. If we don't cut them down when we're done, then some giants might climb down and we don't want that happening again,"

"Oh, yes," Paul said. "Of course,"

"And we've got to bring bags to carry the gold with," Jack said. "And I want Red to see it,"

"But Jack, don't you remember what I told you?"

"She'll believe it when she sees it!" Jack said, thinking of that kiss that she had promised. "And, I want to show her the land of the giants. It really is something amazing, and I want to be the one to show her,"

Paul smiled. The boy was sweet on Red. "If she wants to come, she can,"

Jack beamed. "Come on, we'd better head home before dark. Tomorrow we can come straight here now that we know where it is. We'll chop down all of those, climb up, get the gold, then chop down the one we climbed,"

"Good thinking," Paul said.

"We're going to be rich!" Jack said. "No more moldy bread, no more crying babies, no more hungry stomachs!"

Paul laughed. "Come on, let's get home,"


	11. Chapter 11

_Sorry it took so long to update! And to that guest (you know who you are), whoever you may be, I apologize for not updating this but updating my other stories. Sometimes I get ideas and inspirations for some stories but not others, and I haven't had inspiration for this story lately. But, if you have something to say about this story, please review this story, not my Grease story haha. Sorry again, and thanks for your patience!_

* * *

When Jack and Paul got home, Jack ran straight to Red.

"Red? Guess what?" he said excitedly.

"What?"

"I found them!" he said. "I found the beanstalks?"

Her eyes bugged out of her head. "You…you did?"

"Yeah! And I want to show you my land of the giants!" Jack said. "And um…I was right,"

"I know…" Red's heart was pounding. She had to kiss him now.

"When I show you, you'll be so happy that you'll _want_ to kiss me," Jack grinned.

Red rolled her eyes. "I'll believe it when I see it," she said, and went off to bed.

The next morning, the three of them got ready to go into the woods again, but Cinderella stopped them.

"Where are you all going?" she asked.

"Well…" Paul said, thinking of something to tell her.

"We found the beanstalks!" Jack said. Paul slapped his hand to his face. "We're going there to get gold so we'll be rich!"

"What?" Cinderella said furiously. She threw an accusatory look at Paul. "Children, would you please wait outside?" They nodded and hurried outside with excitement.

"What do you think you're doing?" Cinderella fumed. "Are you trying to get them killed?"

"No, it's – "

"Don't you know what happened last time?" she said. "Both of their families were killed! Your…your wife…"

"I know but – "

"We can manage just fine with all the food we were just given, and the job that Jack is going to find," Cinderella insisted. "There's no need to risk the lives of the children, and the rest of the kingdom for that matter!"

"Listen, it isn't just about the money!" Paul said. Cinderella gave him a confused look. "This is going to sound crazy – "

"Well that's nothing new," she said angrily.

"…but," he continued as if he hadn't heard her. "When I was in the woods looking for the children I met someone,"

"Oh?" Cinderella raised her eyebrows.

"She said she could do something for me if I got her berries from the land of the giants, and Jack knew where they were, so I just went along with his idea to get gold. While he gets the gold, I'll get the berries, and then we'll climb down, chop down the beanstalk, and just continue with our lives,"

"What on earth does she need berries for?" Cinderella said, then gasped with realization. "It's a witch! You made a deal with a witch?" she was furious. "How could you! Don't you know what's happened in the past? They are not to be trusted!" she threw her hands up in frustration. "What did you do, offer up one of the children? Or how about Peter? Did you sell your own soul?"

"No!" he said. "I promised my second born child – "

"Second born?" Cinderella said, her anger suddenly bubbling down into butterflies. "And who are you planning on having a second child with?"

"Again, you're going to think I'm out of my mind…" he said, debating whether he should tell her or not. Well, what did he have to lose? "The witch, she told me she could bring Sarah back from the dead,"

Cinderella felt like she had been stabbed in the chest. Her entire body boiled with rage again. "What?" she exploded. "Do you know how ridiculous that is? Nobody can do something like that, not even a witch!"

"No, just listen!" Paul said. "I'm willing to take the chances to get her back! Wouldn't you give anything to be able to see your mother again?"

Cinderella froze. She thought for a moment. "No…No I wouldn't. I've come to be at peace with her death after all these years. Bringing her back would just…" she couldn't think of words to say. "It would bring all those feelings back that I put away. Death is not something to be cheated Paul," she said. "You can't do this,"

"I want my son to have a mother," Paul said. "I want her to see him grow. She always wanted a child so badly…she died before she even got to know him," he said sadly.

"But even if she was to come back, you promised the witch your child," Cinderella said. "She would be absolutely heartbroken," Paul hung his head shamefully. He hadn't really thought about that…

"This is all sounding familiar isn't it?" Cinderella said. "A man who promises his second child to a witch, a mother who dies…and a father running from his grief," Cinderella said. Paul darted his eyes on her angrily. "Don't you see? You're making all of you father's mistakes! Do you want Peter to grow up confused about his past like you did? Do you want him to make these mistakes too?"

Paul thought for a long while. Was she right? Was he making his father's mistakes?

No. This was different. Bringing Sarah back was an opportunity to fix things, not tear them apart. It would better Peter's life, not destroy it.

"No," Paul said. "You're wrong. I'm getting those berries and bringing Sarah back,"

With that he stormed out of the house, slamming the door behind him. Cinderella stood there for a moment, panting angrily. Then the panting became heavier and tears built up in her eyes. Then the panting became sobs, and she covered her face with her hands and slid down to the floor.

She didn't remember feeling so broken before. She had never experienced such emptiness. All chances of her being with Paul were just torn apart right before her. Then she began to feel guilty. She was being selfish. She was only thinking of her happiness. If she really loved him, she would be glad that he would be happy again with Sarah's return. She got herself to stop crying and she stood up. She would finally get to see him smile again, a genuine smile. That baby would finally have a mother. The baby that could have been hers…

_No. Stop that._

Of course it would be painful to watch the life that could have been hers go by. But if it kept Paul happy, then it would be bearable.

Still, she couldn't help feeling quite uneasy about the whole idea of someone coming back from the dead. And that witch…was it a coincidence that she wanted a child, just as the last witch had? But it couldn't be the same witch…could it? Hadn't the last witch left, or even died? What ever did happen to that witch? Was it possible this was the same witch? But that witch had said herself that there was nothing to be done about death…if so, she would have brought Rapunzel back, wouldn't she?

None of it was making very much sense. She shook her head to clear her thoughts, then hurried off into the bedroom to take care of Peter.

* * *

"Paul what took you so long?" Red asked. "And why do you look so angry?"

"Oh, it's nothing," Paul said. "Cinderella just doesn't agree with our idea of going to the beanstalk,"

"Well, it is rather dangerous," Red said. "I mean…last time…" a terrible thought suddenly crossed Red's mind. "Wait…" she stopped walking.

"What are you doing?" Jack asked.

"What if the giants…" Red started shaking. "What if they…my mother…what if they take away Cinderella too…"

"Oh, no!" Paul said, kneeling down to her so their eyes met.

"I can't…" Red said. "I can't lose her too…I can't…we can't go there…please don't…I can't lose another mother…please…" A single tear rolled down her cheek.

"Red, listen to me," Paul said, cupping her face in his hands and wiping her tear away with his thumb. "No harm will come to Cinderella, or anyone else. I promise. I won't let it happen,"

"A-a-alright," she said, sniffling and blinking away her tears.

Jack looked worriedly at Red. Perhaps bringing her with them wasn't the best idea…

They continued walking, and Jack made himself a promise. He would protect Red no matter what happened.


	12. Chapter 12

_I am so sorry for the wait! My internet hasn't been working for the longest time! But now I'm back! And once again: Please stop reviewing my other stories about this one, especially multiple times. I get the point, and usually as you do that I'm working on it. Sorry if that was rude, but it bothered me, even after I asked you to stop. Enjoy and please review!_

* * *

The three of them, Jack, Paul, and Red, ventured on through the woods. Jack led the way with Red right behind him, and Paul keeping up the rear. They kept walking all day, and Red was beginning to think that Jack was lying again. They had been walking for hours, and they still hadn't come across any beanstalks. Red was becoming increasingly irritated as the hours dragged on and as her feet dragged further into the woods.

"Are we almost there?" she asked after hours of silence.

"I'm sure we are," Jack said. "Should be any minute now,"

Red rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "If I'm walking all this way for nothing – "

"We're almost there!" Jack insisted. "I know it!"

After many more minutes, Red was about to open her mouth to protest and turn around, but then Jack stopped.

"Look! Up ahead!" he pointed. "There they are! Come on!" he grabbed Red's hand and began running through the trees. They stopped, and standing in front of them was a giant beanstalk, rising high into the sky. Red's jaw dropped. There was a whole forest of them!

"Wow!" she gasped.

"See! I told you!" Jack said, beaming proudly. He looked down at Red, who was just up to his shoulder.

"I haven't seen the land of the giants yet," Red said stubbornly, determined to put off that kiss as long as she could.

"Fine then," Jack said. "But first we've cut to chop down all the others,"

They got to work chopping down the many beanstalks that surrounded them. Jack and Red worked together to chop down each beanstalk, while Paul worked by himself. At first Red was keeping track of the amount that she and Paul cut down, but after a while, there were so many, she had lost track.

It was far past noon when they had finally run out of beanstalks to chop down, all but the one they were going to climb. They all checked the area several more times before putting away they're saws and knives. They couldn't leave any beanstalks standing, or else another giant would appear in their land.

After the secured all their bags and pouches onto themselves, they again approached the beanstalk that still remained standing.

"Well, here we go," Jack said, containing much excitement. He had been longing to return to his land of the giants for a long time. And this time, Red would see it too, and he would get a kiss from her for it. "Stay close to me, this isn't exactly easy,"

Jack started climbing first, then Red followed, then Paul. Jack climbed effortlessly, fearlessly, while Red climbed slowly and carefully. Truthfully, she was rather afraid of heights, and the longer they climbed, the higher and higher they got. She kept telling herself not to look down, but it was nearly impossible, as she never knew where to place her feet. Several times she lost her footing and screamed, but Paul had always caught her.

The first time Red had nearly fallen to her death, that was when Paul realized this was far too dangerous for an eleven year old girl. It was even too dangerous for a thirteen year old boy. Yet here he was, putting both children in danger for his own needs. But it was to bring his wife back. Surely if they knew they would understand…

Even still he felt guilt for putting Red through this; she was clearly terrified of heights. Every time she fell, Paul's heart leapt into his throat and he reached up and stopped her from falling. She continued climbing, both their hearts pounding.

After what seemed like years of climbing, they had finally reached the clouds. It was becoming harder to see, which made Red cling tighter to the beanstalk. If she fell, Paul might not be able to see clearly enough to catch her.

"Should be there any minute now!" Jack called down to them.

The moisture that was in the clouds clung to all of them, making it feel as though they had just jumped into a lake. And that meant that Red's hands were wet and slippery. She began shaking with terror. She suddenly stopped climbing and froze, wrapping her arms and legs around the beanstalk.

"Y-y-you…um…go ahead without me…" she said, shaking uncontrollably. "I-I'll wait here…"

"What do you mean?" Jack said. "We're almost there!"

"I-I-I can't go any f-further," she chattered. "I'm wet, I'm going to fall!" her voice rose in panic.

Jack climbed down until he was right above Red. "Take my hand," he said. "I won't let you fall,"

Red looked back and forth from Jack's hand to the part of the beanstalk that she desperately was clinging to. She slowly took a shaking hand off the stalk and put it in Jack's hand. Jack smiled and slowly continued climbing, guiding Red the whole way.

"Here we are!" Jack said. Red was puzzled: how on earth could he see where they were? All she could see was fog. She couldn't see more than five inches ahead of her. Jack let go of her hand, and she gasped, clinging once again to the stalk. Jack hoisted himself upward then reached down and grabbed Red's hands. He started to pull her up, and Red squeezed her eyes shut as she released the stalk with her legs. She was now freely dangling, at the mercy of Jack's hands that held her thousands of feet off the ground. For several terrifying seconds that seemed like years, she was just hanging there, and then she was standing on something solid, with Jack's face merely inches away from hers.

"See? Told ya I wouldn't let you fall," Jack smiled, his eyes falling on hers.

Red blushed. "Thanks,"

Paul then appeared behind them, and Red broke eye contact with Jack to turn around and watch Paul. When they were all standing together, Jack started walking, and the rest followed.

"Here it is!" Jack said.

Paul and Red dropped their jaws. Standing before them was an enormous house.

"We've got to go inside if we want to get the gold," Jack said. "Follow me,"

Paul and Red followed Jack as he started to walk around the giant house in attempt to find a door. In their search, they came across an enormous fence. They squeezed under the fence and they all gasped. They had just entered a giant garden.

"It's so beautiful!" Red said, smiling.

"Isn't it?" Jack said. "Come on, we've got to get the gold and get out of here before dark,"

Red and Paul continued following Jack around the garden, and Paul kept his eye out for the berries.

"Look there's a door we could slip under!" Jack took Red's hand and began running toward it. Paul ran in the other direction, determined to find those berries. He looked up and down, this way and that, until he found just what he was looking for. He found the purple berries that were about the size of his head. He picked three or four of the juiciest looking ones and put them into the large empty bag he had brought. Just then, he heard a high pitched scream and a large thud. He set off running for the house.

"Red? Jack?" He said nervously, praying that they didn't get crushed. Then he saw Jack running out of the house underneath the door, dragging Red with him by the hand.

"Paul hurry!" Jack called. "We've go to get out of here!"

Jack and Red were both carrying bulky bags on their backs that jingled as they bounced while they ran. Paul ran and caught up to the two of them, and then the giant door swung open and a big, tall, terrible, giant appeared and began running after them.

"Faster!" Red shrieked as she saw the giant approaching them.

"How will we get down there in time?" Paul asked.

"You two keep running; I've got an idea!" Jack ran in a different direction and Paul grabbed Red's hand. They kept running toward the beanstalk, and there was a burning sensation rising in Red's chest as she panted and tried to keep up with Paul. They had reached the beanstalk, but Jack hadn't come back yet, so they turned around and ran in a different direction. The giant was getting closer and closer, and Red's head was getting lighter and lighter. She could hardly breathe anymore.

When they headed back in the direction of the beanstalk, they could see a giant basket in the distance, and Jack was tying rope to it. They kept running until they reached the beanstalk.

"Get into the basket, quick!" Paul hoisted himself in and Jack lifted Red in. Jack threw in the bags he was carrying. The giant was dangerously close. "I'm going to distract the giant while you two go down. I've tied the rope to the house, so the basket should stop before it hits the ground,"

"Should?" Paul asked his heart leaping with worry.

"Hold on!" Jack said without acknowledging Paul had said anything. Red wrapped her arms around a piece of the giant basket. Jack pushed on the basket with all his might and it went shooting down towards the ground. Paul threw himself down and did as Red did.

The giant basket was flying through the air hurtling towards the ground. Red was shrieking and screaming, and Paul couldn't help but scream either. The wind whipped around them, and one of the bags tumbled out of the basket. Paul was grateful the bag of berries was secured on his back.

They had been falling for about a minute now, and it wouldn't be very long before the rope ran out, or hit the ground.

They squeezed their eyes shut and held the basket tighter than ever as they braced for impact.

But instead of the basket crashing into the ground as they both thought would happen, they felt a sudden jolt, and the basket hurled upward. Red shrieked louder than ever, then the basket hurled back down, then back up, then back down, and it continued to do so until it had started swinging back and forth.

Paul sat up, and he sighed in relief; the rope was short enough to stop them from hitting the ground. Red was still screaming and holding onto the basket.

"It's alright, we've stopped falling," he said over her screams. She stifled her shrieking and began panting shakily. She lifted her head and looked around, feeling the swaying motion. She stayed frozen in that position until the basket stopped swaying. She then sat up very slowly, still panting. She looked at Paul, who was also very still, most likely still in shock like Red was.

The world was slowly coming back to Red, and she suddenly realized something. Jack had not gotten in the basket with them. She frantically looked around her. "Where's Jack?"

Paul snapped back to reality at this.

"Where is he?" Red repeated.

"I-I-I don't know…" Paul said, trying to remember everything that had happened before they had started tumbling back to the earth.

"He didn't get in the basket!" Red said. "Where is he?"

"He…he was distracting the giant," Paul remembered. "But he didn't say how he was getting down…"

"Oh no!" Red cried. "He's stranded! The giant is going to kill him!" Red burst into tears. Paul went to her and held the crying girl in his arms.

"It's alright…I'm sure he's fine…" But deep down, he knew things looked bleak for the boy…

_It's all my fault…I had to get them involved…it's all my fault…_

Paul began shaking. He held Red tighter in attempt to hide his uncontrollable shaking. Just then, something caught Paul's ear.

"Wahoo!"

Paul looked up and squinted to see what it was. Something was sliding down the rope that was attached to the basket. Red looked up as well and gasped.

"Jack?"

Sure enough, Jack came tumbling into the basket, causing it to sway slightly again.

"Jack!" Red cried. She crawled as fast as she could toward him and threw her arms around him. "You're alright! You're alright!"

"Of course I am!" Jack said, returning her embrace. "You thought I couldn't handle a little thing like a giant?"

"A _little_ thing?" Red said. "It was, well, _giant!"_

Paul let out a laugh. "Whatever happened to the giant?"

"I tricked it, and now it's got string wrapped around its ankles. It gave me enough time to get away, and now we'll have enough time to chop down the beanstalk!"

"You're brilliant!" Red exclaimed. Jack beamed brighter than he ever had. Little Red Riding Hood just called him brilliant.

Paul got up and climbed to the top of the basket to see how far off the ground they were. Much to his relief, they seemed only a few yards high. Red took the rope out of her bag and Paul tied it to the top of the basket. Red got on Paul's back and Paul climbed down, and Jack climbed down after them. When they were once again standing on solid ground, their legs felt like jelly, especially Red. She fell right over as soon as her feet touched the ground. Jack sat down next to her and took Red's bag off of her back.

"We lost the other one," Red said. "It fell right out on our way down,"

"That's alright," Jack said. "We've got enough in this one,"

He dumped out the contents of the bag, and out of it poured a variety of shimmering silver and gold objects.

"Wow!" Red said.

"We're going to be rich!" Jack said. "Look at it Paul!"

Paul had to admit, it was quite a lot, and it would make them quite wealthy.

"What's in your bag, Paul?" Red asked.

"What? Oh, nothing," Paul said quickly. "Look, we'd better chop down this beanstalk and head home, the sun is starting to set,"

Red and Jack cleaned up the gold and silver and Jack put the bag on his back. The three of them cut down the beanstalk and watched it come crashing down. Then they turned to the basket.

"What do we do with this?" Red asked.

"Well we've got to get rid of the rope, because the giant could climb down," Jack said.

"But how?"

"I'll just climb a really tall tree, and cut it short enough so that if the giant does go down the rope, it'll fall,"

Paul and Red nodded in approval and watched him do so. By the time he returned, the sun was gone and the moon glowed in the starry sky. Paul and Red had already lit three lanterns.

They all began to head home, and that was when they began to feel all of the bumps and bruises they had gotten along the way. The left side of Red's face and her left arm were scratched up from clinging to the basket, as was the right side of Paul's face and his right arm. Red and Jack had lumps on their heads from falling over when the giant nearly stomped on them. Jack had bruises and scratches all over the place from distracting the giant. And Red had gotten several more bruises from being thrown around in the basket, along with Paul. Paul's stomach churned as he thought about what Cinderella would say about all these injuries.

Jack had been looking forward to telling Paul all about his and Red's adventure in the house, but he had found himself much too tired and worn out, and as he had not expected, in much pain.

The hours dragged on and on, much longer than they had before. Red thought she might fall asleep while she was walking. It must have been at least midnight when they finally emerged from the woods and approached the town. All of their bones aching, they hurried towards their house, ready to drop into their beds.


	13. Chapter 13

_Alright, again sorry for the wait...just don't expect frequent updates anymore...sorry...enjoy and please review!_

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Cinderella had been sitting at the empty dinner table for nearly three hours. The food was cold and the sun was setting. Where on earth were they? Why was it taking them so long?

Her heart began pounding with worry and her stomach began churning. How could she have just let them walk away like that? Why didn't she put up more of a fight? She could have at least gotten the children to stay behind. She had been too preoccupied with her own feelings than the safety of the children.

All day she had buried her mind with work. She had cleaned the entire house, windows and all, all while taking care of Peter and baking bread to sell to anyone who came by. Then she had prepared supper, thinking that they would be back by now. Only then had it occurred to her once again that their trip was life threatening. They might not come back at all.

She got up from the table and began pacing back and forth. Just then Peter began crying again, and she realized that in her hurry to make supper she had forgotten to feed him. She filled a bottle with milk and fed it to him, still pacing back and forth. When he finished, he fell asleep in her arms, and she put him to bed. Then she realized how very late it was. Refusing to believe that anything bad had happened for the sake of her sanity, she shook her head and put logs into the fireplace and started a large fire.

She sat in front of the fire and started knitting more clothes for Peter, all the while nervously rocking back and forth. The hours dragged on, yet she continued to work diligently on her knitting, shaking any troubling thoughts out of her head. The clock on the mantle struck midnight, and her head snapped up from her work. It then hit her that it was midnight, and they still weren't home. Her fingers started trembling, and she could no longer knit. She desperately searched the house for things to clean and scrub or put away, but there was nothing left to do.

She had nothing to get her mind off of it. She had never had to face things like this before. There was always cooking, or cleaning or sewing to do. She never had time to think.

Her mind drifted to all the terrible things that could have happened to them. Jack was only thirteen…Red only eleven…Paul…he was…

She collapsed on the floor in a mess of tears. She curled up into a small ball and cried all her tears.

After many minutes of carrying on like this, she realized that she couldn't allow herself to just sit here. She wouldn't allow it. She got up, threw a shawl on and lit a lantern. Not thinking about anything else, not even Peter, she threw the door open and started walking toward the woods.

But she had only walked five feet from the house when she saw them in the distance.

"Jack? Red? Paul?" She called out.

"Cinderella!" Red's sweet voice filled her ears.

She saw the three of them running toward her and Cinderella threw her arms around Red, then Jack. "Oh, I've been worried absolutely sick!" she kissed them both over and over, while they winced in pain. "What's wrong? Oh! Your face!" she saw Red's scratched up face. "The lumps on your heads! Come inside, quickly!"

She seized both of their hands and dragged them inside. She pushed them both into a chair and got two wet rags. She took their bags and threw them aside and began dabbing at everything that seemed bloody. Her face screwed up in a worried, motherly way she worked at each and every one of their injuries until it was bandaged up. She had them hold cold rags to their heads.

"Hold them there for a bit, and then go to sleep," she instructed. Both children nodded. "Oh, but you must be starving! Here," she pushed their chairs in front of the table where the food was still sitting. "It's cold, but it's better than nothing,"

She then noticed Paul, who was trying to wipe his own bloody face and arms. Cinderella angrily snatched the rag and began working on his injuries. "I hope you're happy," she whispered harshly. "Just look at them! There are bandages everywhere! And I'll have you know, I nearly fainted I was so worried!" She was now working at his wounds furiously.

"Ow!" He cried out it pain. "Would you stop being so rough?"

"Well sorry!" Cinderella said. "Next time, you won't take _children_ and a daring mission to save your dead wife!" She angrily threw the rag at him and turned away, her eyes burning with hot, angry tears.

Paul stood there shocked. He had never seen her like this before. She had plastered on a smile when she returned to the children. She took them into the back room and put them to bed. When she returned to the front room to clean up after them, Paul was eating.

"When you're done," she said in a voice that she struggled to keep calm. "Put the dishes in the wash bin,"

Paul nodded, avoiding looking at her. She forcefully threw the dishes in the bin and hurried back into the other room, shutting the door a little harder than she meant to.

Cinderella saw that both children were fast asleep already. She crawled into bed and curled up into a ball and sobbed silently under her sleep took over and her nightmares terrorized her for the rest of the night.

When next Cinderella awoke, she sat up panting with terror from her dreams, and she noticed Paul had already gotten out of bed. She got up and got dressed and got to work on breakfast. She noticed that one of the bags Paul had carried last night was gone; no doubt it had the berries in it and he had already left to find that witch. Trying not to think about the fact that when he returned he would have Sarah with him, she continued cooking vigorously, thankful to have something to get her mind off of everything this time.

Soon, Red and Jack had emerged from the back room.

"Good morning," Cinderella said cheerfully. "Sit down, I'll change your bandages, and then you can eat,"

After they had done all that, Cinderella got to work cleaning last night's and that morning's dishes.

"Cinderella, did you see?" Jack asked excitedly.

"Did I see what?" she asked, setting aside her work for a moment.

"The gold! The silver!" he said. He snatched his bag and dumped it all out. "Look!"

Cinderella's jaw dropped. She hadn't seen that much gold and silver since her days at the castle. "Oh my…" she said.

"We'll be rich!" Jack beamed. "And on top of all that food we've got! I can feed my cow friends lots of food!"

"Now, now," Cinderella said laughing. "We've got to spend it wisely, because if we don't it'll all be gone and we'll be back to starving again,"

"Of course," Jack said, trying to sound like a reasonable adult. "We'll only use it for necessary things,"

"That's right," Cinderella said. She kissed Jack's head. "Thank you for getting all this for us,"

"Well, I was just doing my job as a man of the family," Jack said proudly, blushing a little.

"Just remember, no more giants," Cinderella said. "It's far too dangerous,"

"Yes ma'am," Jack said. "And after all this, we won't need to go up there any more,"

"And we cut down every last beanstalk," Red said. "No giants are getting down here anymore,"

"Well I'm glad," Cinderella said. Red and Jack were about to start making bread, when Cinderella stopped them. "It's alright, I'll do that,"

"But you do so much," Red said. "We want to help,"

"You got us all this gold!" Cinderella said. "Why don't you both go into town and sell it?"

"Wow! Alright!" Red said, gathering it all up in the bag. Jack took her hand and they rushed to the door.

"Just be careful!" Cinderella said. "Don't get robbed!"

"We won't!" Jack said, shutting the front door behind them. Cinderella smiled. Those two had really grown on her. She had really come to care for them quite a lot. She got to work scrubbing the dishes until they were sparkling clean, and then she started making loaf after loaf of bread. She stopped twice to feed Peter, and hold him and play with him. After she finished with the bread and some costumers had come by to buy some, she started sweeping again.


	14. Chapter 14

_Please pretty please review!_

* * *

_Into the woods I have to go, it may be all in vain I know. Into the woods but even so I have to take the journey…_

Paul walked briskly through the woods, hoping he was correctly remembering where he had found the witch's cottage. His spirits were higher than ever, as now he was closer than ever to getting Sarah back. But there was still a nagging feeling in the back of his brain. The nagging kept reminding him that witches were not to be trusted. The nagging kept reminding him that Sarah would be quite upset about giving up a child. The nagging kept repeating every word Cinderella said to him.

Every time he thought to turn back, he reminded himself that it was for a good cause, and shook his head and continued onward.

Several more hours of walking and uncertainty passed by before he came across the tangled vines that, when pushed aside, revealed the witches cottage. He rushed to the door and pounded on the door. The same tall and thin woman answered the door.

"Ah, I see you have what I need," she smiled slyly. "Good. Follow me,"

The witch led him inside. She seized the bag from Paul and dumped the berries into a boiling cauldron. She mashed and mixed the ingredients until it turned a bright red color. Grinning madly, she dipped a large goblet into the cauldron and pulled in close to her face. She inhaled deeply, smelling it, Paul supposed.

"It's perfect," she whispered madly. She turned her insane eyes on him, and he almost jumped backward. "A word of…caution," she said, grinning wildly again. "As you probably very well know, but are just choosing to ignore, death is not something to be cheated," she said, and Paul swallowed loudly. "Some things that are out of any of our control are going to happen because of this decision you've made. Most of them will not be…pleasant…" her gaze wandered and stared off into space for a moment. "Do you still wish to do it?" her head suddenly snapped back to attention.

Paul thought for only seconds before nodding his head. The witch gave a sudden insane little giggle. "Then show me to her grave!"

Paul led the witch down the familiar path to his wife's grave. His heart was pounding harder than he could ever remember. The thing that he had only thought could happen in his wildest of dreams, was happening right before his eyes.

They reached the familiar spot. The giant footprint had still not been washed away, and as Jack had said, he had buried her there, and marked it with a sandy stone. Paul had visited there only once before, and he had carved on the stone:

_Sarah_

_Wife and mother_

_Gone too soon_

Seeing this caused him great pain, but it comforted him at the same time. Soon, this stone would no longer be a gravestone, just a normal stone. Soon, Paul wouldn't be a widower, and his son would have a mother. The witch began digging the grave, with Paul's help, and when the witch hit something, a foul stench filled the air. Paul had to look away as she lifted Sarah's body out of the ground. The very fact that his own wife was making such a stench with her decaying body was more than enough to make him vomit.

The witch laid her body down and poured the goblet into her mouth, or what was left of her mouth. She then waved her hands over it and said something in a bizarre language. At this point, Paul had turned around to watch what was going on. The witch seemed to be lost in some sort of trance, and then, all of a sudden, she was shrieking, locked in a position with her hands frozen over Sarah's body. Paul had to admit, it was all quite frightening.

Then, as suddenly as it began, it stopped. The witch turned around, smiling. "Powerful magic, this is,"

Paul inched forward carefully, afraid he might catch a glance of her body. His face lit up as he saw that it was no longer decayed, but the same beautiful woman whom he remembered. He bolted to her side and threw himself down on his knees beside her. He gathered her still body into his arms.

"Why isn't she moving?" Paul asked.

"Haven't you been taught anything?" the witch rolled her eyes. "Kiss her you fool,"

Paul cradled her neck like she was a baby and slowly and carefully raised her face to his. He gently pressed his lips to hers and waited there. Suddenly, he felt her arms wrap around him, and she returned the kiss.

He pulled away, his eyes filling with tears. "Sarah?"

"It's me," she said, laughing. Paul let out a ringing laugh and pulled her into a suffocating embrace. He held her there, and it was as if he had entered heaven. To feel her arms around him again, to inhale her lovely scent…it was pure bliss. She was back, and this time, he wasn't letting her go.

They remained in that embrace for longer than either of them could remember. Paul turned around to thank the witch, and then noticed that she had vanished. He turned back to his wife and kissed her sweetly, innocently. The kiss then turned more deep and passionate, and before long, neither of them could breathe. Paul turned around to thank the witch, but she had vanished.

"I….I've missed you so much…" Paul said. "Every day was more painful than the last…I didn't think I could bear it…"

"Shh, it's alright," she soothed him, stroking his head. "I'm here now. It's alright,"

He kissed her again, then stood up and helped her off the ground. Then, all of a sudden, everything rushed back to her. All her memory came rushing back, bringing back such pain…Her mind then wandered to what she had been doing just before she'd been killed. Her heart began racing and her breath left her. She couldn't go on keeping something like this from him. She had done the unthinkable. She had broken her vows.

"Shall we?" Paul extended his

Her eyes stayed on the ground and she looked ashamed of herself.

"What's wrong?" Paul asked her.

"Paul I…" she bit her lip. The last thing she had done before she died was be with another man. That was why she was unable to cross over, she still had unfinished business. She could not rest peacefully until she talked to Paul. And now she had all the time in the world. "Before I was killed by the giant…I met a prince in the woods…" she started shaking, and he rushed closer to her, concern in his eyes. Her heart broke, seeing how much he cared about her, and she had still been unfaithful. "He tried to…to…"

"God, Sarah," Paul said. "Did he…?"

"Yes but…" tears built up in her eyes. "I…you see, right before that, you and I were arguing…and I was so upset with you…"

"I don't understand," Paul said. "What does that have to do – " and then his face changed from one of confusion to one of shocked understanding. "You….you…"

"Yes…I let him," she said, her voice cracking. She looked up at him, and he looked like he had been slapped in the face. Her heart broke again and a tear rolled down her cheek. "At first I wouldn't let him…but then he said things…it was like he could take the troubles away…"

"You…you were the woman that Cinderella's prince was with," he said in realization. "You…it was all you…"

"Not all me! It was him too!" she cried desperately. "Please…forgive me…I was just so angry with you…but now I regret every second of it…I'm sorry…please…" she sobbed.

Paul's fists were balled up in rage, and his face was redder than ever and his eyes were wet with tears. He opened his mouth to argue, but then he noticed the state she was in. She hadn't seen her this upset since the day her mother had passed away. There were tears streaming down her face, and she was shaking with uncontrollable sobs. He relaxed his tense body and wrapped his arms around his distraught wife.

"W…what are you doing?" she looked up at him.

"I'm comforting you," he said.

"You…you forgive me?" she said in disbelief.

"It…it hurt to listen to you say those things…and it hurts even more to think of it…" his voice trailed for a moment, and then he continued. "But the last time we argued…I never saw you again…and I never got to forgive you…to apologize…I won't let it happen again," he said kissing her head. "I…I forgive you,"

She stared up at her husband and began shaking again. "What? What's wrong?" he asked her.

"I…I don't deserve this…" she sobbed. "I don't deserve you…"

"Yes! Yes you do!" he said firmly, holding her tighter.

"You're…you're wonderful…you're more than wonderful…you're…"

He kissed her and she quieted. She gratefully returned the kiss. "Thank you,"

They began their walk home, hand in hand. "I want to see my beautiful son," Sarah sighed.

"Everything is going to be right again," Paul smiled widely.

_It takes trust. It takes just a bit more and we're done._

"It takes two," they both said at once, and kissed each other again.


	15. Chapter 15

_Hello! Thank you so much to all reviewers especially the guest Bakerella. I too am a Bakerella shipper, but just you wait! And in this chapter, I have another ship sailing that I'm sure most of you will like ;) Let me know what you think!_

* * *

"Look!" Jack said, tugging on Cinderella's skirt. "Look at all the money!"

"Oh, my!" Cinderella gasped. It was indeed a large sum.

"We'll never be hungry again!" Red exclaimed. She grabbed Jack's hands and they spun in circles. Cinderella laughed at the two carefree children dancing about before her. "Now, go and do your chores outside,"

"Yes ma'am!" they both said at once. They bounded outside and shut the door behind them.

Jack started milking Milky White and Red got to work milking Milky Brown. They chatted on and on while they worked. Red had never imagined herself talking so much to a boy she despised. _After all, he is just a stupid boy._

They walked back to the house with now full pails of milk, and they were still chatting and chatting, and Jack was inching closer and closer to Red. Soon, Jack was right next to her. Her heart started racing, and she inched away. They set their pails of milk inside the house and went back outside.

Red started picking flowers, and Jack watched the way she gracefully bent down and plucked each pretty flower from the ground, no flower being prettier than she was. The sun practically shone off of her dark curls.

"You really like flowers huh?" Jack said.

"Yes I do," Red said, still picking them. "They are quite beautiful,"

Jack inched ever closer, and Red hadn't even noticed. Jack was now close enough to touch her. She stopped picking flowers and stood up straight. She jumped when she realized how close Jack was standing to her, not expecting him to be there.

"Look how nice," Red smiled.

"Yeah," Jack got ever closer. "Very nice,"

Red continued to admire her flowers, and Jack continued to admire her. Before either of them knew what was happening, Jack leaned over and kissed Red's cheek. Red's eyes widened to the size of apples and the flowers dropped out of her hands.

As quickly as it started, it ended, and Jack was now standing back, blushing wildly.

"You…you…" Red began, her face growing red with anger, adding to the color of pink that she had flushed.

"Wait!" Jack said, flustered. "You promised me a kiss if I was right, and I was! You saw the giants yourself!"

"But…but…" Red stammered, still unable to fully process her spinning thoughts into comprehensible words. "_I _was supposed to kiss _you! You're_ not supposed to kiss _me!"_ She was shouting directly into his face.

"Well I-I didn't want to ask you to kiss me!" Jack said, mirroring Red's actions by shouting into her face and getting up close to her. "That would just be…well…stupid!"

"Well – " Red opened her mouth to argue, but shut it again. "You're right," she said, backing away from him, for they were only inches apart. "That would be stupid,"

"Good," Jack said, mirroring her again by backing away and crossing his arms. "I'm glad we agree,"

"Well so am I," Red also crossed her arms. They stood there for a moment with their arms crossed, not daring to look at each other. "Well," Red said, breaking the terrible silence. "We have chores to finish,"

"Yes. We do,"

They turned their backs to each other and began working separately on their chores. As soon as Jack wasn't looking, Red slowly lifted her hand to the spot where his lips touched hers. She gently brushed her fingers on it. A small smile appeared on her face, and then she realized what she was doing. She shook her head and forced herself to stop smiling. He was older than she was. There were plenty of girls who were prettier than she. And after all, what on earth was she thinking? He was clumsy, not the least bit attractive, and he was just a boy. A stupid, stupid boy.

As soon as Red wasn't looking, Jack brushed his lips with his fingers and smiled. He only wished it could have lasted longer. He glanced over his shoulder, still grinning widely, but then his smile disappeared. She still had her back to him, and she still looked awfully mad. He turned back around frowning. He shook his head and cleared his mind. She was younger than him. He was far too stupid for her. She was smart, and pretty and…

He shook his head again. There would be plenty of other boys worthy of her, but not him. After all, what on earth was he thinking? She was just a silly little girl. Men like him didn't concern themselves with silly little girls.

But as much as he convinced himself he didn't, he sure wished he did.

* * *

Red was sitting in the back room sewing a torn blanket while Jack was outside chopping wood. Cinderella was selling bread to costumers, and she thought it strange that the two children were not with each other like they usually were. Just then, Peter started crying.

"Red, can you bring him to me?" Cinderella called.

"Yes ma'am," Red scooped Peter out of his cradle and tried to comfort him. "I think he's hungry," Red said as she entered the front room.

"Would you like to feed him?" Cinderella asked.

"Of course!" Red said, excited to do some real helping. Red had never understood why girls so adored babies, that is until she met Peter. He was such a sweet little thing. Although his crying got on her nerves many times, she did enjoy playing with him and feeding him.

Red fed Peter until the bottle was empty and he fell asleep in her arms. She smiled down at him and walked over to Cinderella again, who had started making dinner. "He fell asleep," she told him.

"Good," Cinderella smiled. "Why don't you – "

"Cinderella!" Jack burst through the front door. "Paul's back, and he's got someone with him!"

"Who?" Red asked.

Cinderella's stomach flipped and her heart jumped into her throat. She took Peter from Red and Red bounded outside with Jack.

"It's…" Red gasped. "It's his wife!"

"But…how…?" Jack said.

"Children, come inside," Cinderella said, her voice sounding far too shaky for her liking. "Why don't you two finish up dinner?"

Their faces lit up and they got to work cooking. Cinderella nervously stepped outside. She spotted them in the distance. They were getting closer and closer. Cinderella gulped. She looked down at the sleeping baby in her arms. Soon, it wouldn't be her who would comfort him in the night. It wouldn't be her who fed him, or who played with him, and kissed his head. It would be his mother.

Guilt burned inside her. She should be happy his mother was back. She shouldn't be feeling such selfish jealously. Yet, even still, she was going to miss having a baby that she could almost call her own. Peter was gone now. He was no longer hers.

Sarah had taken to a run, and Paul hurried after her, laughing. Cinderella's heart stung. She kissed Peter's head, whispered one last "I love you,", and walked toward Sarah.

"My baby!" she exclaimed, taking Peter from Cinderella. "My son…my beautiful son…" tears filled her eyes as she held Peter close to her. Paul had finally caught up and he smiled at the sight before him. His son and his wife finally reunited. He put his arm around Sarah's shoulder and looked at his son. Cinderella awkwardly stood to the side, a smile plastered on her face. Sarah was covering Peter with kisses, and Peter had awoken.

"Hello," Sarah said, the tears now rolling down her cheeks. "Hello my angel,"

Peter reached up and touched Sarah's face, and she laughed, more tears slipping down her face. She kissed his hands. "You…" she looked up at Cinderella now. "You took care of him all this time?"

"Yes…but of course Paul…"

Sarah suddenly had her arm wrapped around Cinderella. "Thank you…so much,"

"Y-you're welcome," Cinderella said shakily. Sarah released Cinderella and turned her attention back to her son and husband. The three of them walked inside, and Cinderella saw that Jack and Red were covered in food.

"What have you two been doing?" Cinderella said.

"Jack was doing it wrong – "

"Yeah, well she tried to – "

"But you also – "

"Yes, but you shouldn't – "

"That's enough," Cinderella said calmly but firmly, and they instantly quieted. "Go wash up. And if there's so much food on your bodies and not enough for your plates, you're not eating a thing,"

"Yes ma'am," they both said, throwing each other an angry look.

"Children will be children," Sarah laughed, and Cinderella awkwardly laughed with her. Cinderella served the food, and although the children had made quite a mess, there was plenty of food for everyone. Paul and Sarah chatted all through dinner, while the children and Cinderella sat in silence. The children kept looking at each other with confused expressions.

"But Sarah," Red said suddenly after a long time of silence. "I thought you were…dead,"

"Well…I…" Sarah flushed pink. "I…Paul…?" she turned to her husband, for she herself didn't know how her husband had accomplished what he had.

"Well…" Paul stammered. "There was…a witch…"

"You brought her back to life?" Red gasped. "With the help of a witch?"

"Yes but – "

"She can do that?" Red said, her eyes lighting up.

"Well – "

"Oh Paul," Red begged. "Tell her to bring my mother back, please?"

"Red I – "

"And my mother too!" Jack said excitedly.

Cinderella's heart started pounding and she looked nervously from one child to the next.

"Well…I…" Paul stammered. "I…I can't…"

"Of course you can!" Red said, her spirits still high. "You brought Sarah back!"

"Red, you don't understand…" Paul said. "I only brought back enough berries from the land of the giants to bring back one person – "

"So that's why you came with us?" Jack said, his face showing how hurt he was.

"No Jack you don't understand – "

"I understand!" Jack said angrily, standing up.

"Jack please – " Cinderella put her hand on his arm.

"I understand," Jack went on, ignoring Cinderella. "I understand that you are the most selfish person I've ever met! I trusted you! I showed you their land because I thought…I thought you cared…"

"Jack I do care – " Paul said desperately.

"No! You only care about yourself! You only brought back enough berries for her! Well you know what? We all lost someone too! All of us!" Jack's face was now beat red, and silent tears were rolling down Red's cheek. "But that doesn't matter does it? My mother, Red's mother and Grandmother, Cinderella's mother, they don't matter?"

"Jack, listen to me – "

"We all had to deal with it too! It hurt! It still hurts…" Jack's voice broke, and Cinderella's heart broke. "But we all deal with it…you know what you are? A coward! That's what!" he shouted, and Paul felt as if he had just been slapped. "You're too much of a coward to deal with real pain, so you brought her back, all the while, the rest of us are still suffering!" A single tear rolled down his cheek. He quickly wiped it away and stormed outside. Red looked around at everyone at the table through her teary eyes and a sob escaped her lips. She stood up and ran outside, her sobs still heard until she slammed the door behind her.

Cinderella stood up, her face red and her eyes watery, her fork clenched in her fist. "Well," she spat at Paul. "Now you've done it," She threw her fork onto the table and it landed with a loud clanging noise. She then hurried outside after the children.

Paul had become frozen in his chair, his whole body shaking slightly. Sarah was looking nervously at him, her heart pounding, and her body also shaking. Her very skin burnt with guilt, and she absolutely hated that she was alive, and that those poor children's mothers still lie in the ground. Tears had been building up in her eyes, and suddenly, everything came rushing to her at once. The guilt, the sorrow, the pity, it crashed over her in a terrifying wave, and she burst into tears.

Paul's eyes darted on his crying wife, and seeing her in this state caused him to break down as well. He pulled her into him, and they stayed in that embrace, crying on each other for longer than they cared to remember.


	16. Chapter 16

_Thanks to HumanAtHeart for pointing out a mistake in the last chapter: It says "Where Jack's lips touched hers," and what it should have said was where his lips touched her **cheek. **Sorry about that haha. More Red/Jack in this chapter :)_

* * *

Red had run outside, not sure where she was going. She could hardly see, for the tears were clouding her vision. She ran blindly in front of her, until she tripped over something. Gasping, she landed in the dirt and leaves with a thud. She looked over her shoulder to see what she had tripped over, and she gasped again, realizing it was Jack.

"S-s-s-sorry," Red stuttered, now trying to suppress her sobs in front of him.

"It's fine," Jack said quickly.

Red sat up slowly and sat there for a moment, staring him and studying his features. He had an angry scowl on his face, and there were even tears in his eyes. He was sitting with his head resting on his knees, his arms tightly wrapped around his legs. He was staring straight ahead of him, and Red could tell he was straining himself to calm down just as she was.

"I…I…" Red didn't know what to say to him. She simply sat next to him in the same position as he had. She quickly glanced at her surroundings. They were leaning against a tree, and around them were many other trees. Red could hardly see the village from where they were, and she wanted to keep it that way.

They sat there in silence. The only sounds were the birds chirping, and the leaves rustling. Finally Jack spoke. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you," His eyes were still set straight ahead.

"It wasn't you who upset me," Red said, slightly taken aback by this apology. "It was…it was Paul…"

"Yes, but my yelling about our mothers and your Granny didn't help," Jack said.

"Well…I think you're right," she said. Jack turned to her, and realized that although he had been staring in front of him, Red was looking right at him when she talked to him. "I don't think it's fair. Why should he get to be happy? Why should he get his wife back? Why does he deserve it when we don't? Why does he – " She stopped herself, realizing that she was now yelling and the tears were coming back.

"Don't stop," Jack said.

"What?"

"Keep going. Let yourself yell and cry. You'll feel a lot better after," Red was looking at him like he was crazy. "Look, we both know that we were both crying. It's no use trying to hide what we're both feeling,"

Red kept looking at him for a few seconds, then she stood up and walked towards another tree. "It isn't fair. It isn't fair. It isn't fair," she sounded calm and collected at first, but as she kept repeating herself, she sounded angrier and angrier. "It isn't fair…it isn't fair! How could you do this!" she started kicking the tree. "I want my mother back! Why should you – " she kicked the tree harder than ever. "get –" another kick. "your – " another kick. "wife!" She kicked the tree again and again, beginning to grunt and murmur things that weren't understandable as she did so.

Jack stood up and walked to another tree and began kicking it. At first he felt rather stupid, but then he remembered all the anger that had surged up inside him and he began mercilessly kicking the tree. He was grunting and murmuring along with Red, when suddenly, her grunting and indecipherable murmuring turned into screaming and indecipherable shouting. Jack did the same as she did, and they were both screaming and shouting as they kicked a tree over and over and over.

Tears started pouring out of Red's eyes before she knew it was happening. While she was still kicking the tree, a wave of complete and total grief washed over her, and she gave the tree one last devastating kick (the hardest one yet), and she fell backwards into a sitting position, and suddenly broke into uncontrollable sobs. Soon, Jack had done the same, and they were both sitting on the ground crying.

All shame, and any grievances they had against each other in light of events that happened that morning, had vanished from both their minds. Not knowing what to do with herself, Red threw her arms around Jack's waist, and without thinking Jack wrapped his arms around her neck.

* * *

Cinderella searched the barn, the trees around the cottage; everywhere the children were usually found hiding. Panic began to set in, wondering where they had gone to. What if they had gotten so angry, they ran away? What if they just ran into the woods, and got lost? What if something or someone got them? What if the witch found them again?

She noticed both cows were still there. Jack wouldn't run away without his beloved Milky White. At least she had ruled that out. She started running toward the woods, desperate to find the children before something else did.

"Jack! Red!" she called, searching through bushes and behind trees. "Jack! Red!"

She peered behind a tree, and she saw a small clearing, in which were sitting Jack and Red. "Thank goodness," she whispered to herself.

She looked closer at the pair of them, and her heart warmed at what she saw. Jack's arms were wrapped around Red's neck, and Red's arms were wrapped around Jack's waist. They were sitting right next to each other, with no space between them. Red was practically sitting on his lap. Cinderella contemplated whether it was wise to interrupt them. She decided it would be best if she intervened at this point, and talked to both of them about what Paul had done, and try to help them forgive him.

"Hello," she said nervously, revealing herself from behind the tree. Red jumped and practically leaped out of Jack's arms. She scooted nearly a foot away from him, her face red.

"H-hello," Jack stammered, his face also turning red.

Cinderella walked toward them and sat in the space that Red had made between them. "Is everything alright?" Neither of them answered. She looked back and forth to each of their faces.

"There once was a little girl," Began Cinderella, and both children's faces screwed up with confusion, yet neither of them said anything, and began listening curiously. "She lived in a beautiful house on a beautiful hill. She had a mother, and a father, and they loved her more than anything. They treated her like gold, like…like a princess. They went on picnics and walks and carriage rides together, and everything was wonderful. But then one day, everything changed. The little girl's mother fell ill, and they knew she wouldn't make it. The little girl stood by her bedside…

_"Hello my beautiful child," the girl's mother sighed, a faint smile appearing on her face._

_"Mother, you're going to get better, aren't you?" the girl said._

_"Listen to me," her mother said firmly but lovingly. "I love you, so much, so very much. I want you to be a good girl, like I've always taught you. Can you do that for me?" The little girl nodded, and a tear rolled down her cheek, because she knew even without her mother saying it, that her mother wasn't going to get better. "Be good…be good…"_

_"I will," the little girl said, the tears becoming heavier. "I will, I promise. I love you mother," She waited for her mother to answer, but nothing came. "Mother?" her mother's eyes were closed. "Mother!" she wailed, throwing herself onto her mother._

_Soon she was being pulled out of the room, kicking and screaming, and then she remembered…_

_Mother said be good. Mother said be good. Mother said be good…_

"The little girl was terribly sad. Her father hardly ever spoke to her; he barely even looked at her. She was too scared to ask to see her friends, or go on picnics, so she simply stayed in her room. The girl was terribly lonely. Sometimes, she visited her mother's grave and cried. She had visited there so often and cried so much, that a tree had sprung up. And then on day, her father visited her in her room…

_The girl was sitting on her window seat gazing out the window, silently brushing her doll's hair. This particular day, she hadn't felt quite so lonely, and so she hadn't cried yet. Then to her complete surprise, her father opened the door and walked toward her._

_"Hello father," she said, her spirits lifting. Maybe he had finally come around, and he wanted to spend time with her._

_"Hello," he said stiffly. "I'm going to be married,"_

_"M-married?" the girl dropped her doll._

_"Yes, you like Florinda and Lucinda don't you?" her father said._

_"Well, yes of course, but – "_

_"Good. Because you're going to be sisters," he said. "And you're going to have a new mother,"_

_"A new mother?" rage boiled up inside the girl. "But father, I don't want a new mother! That isn't fair!"_

_"Please – "_

_"Father I don't like her! I don't love her! She could never be my mother!"_

_"Be quiet!" father boomed, and the girl cowered back in fear. He had never raised his voice at her before. "You must be nice to your new mother and sisters. I want you to change into something more suitable for dinner, and be down in ten minutes,"_

_With that he left the room. The girl got so very angry. He hadn't even asked her! He had simply told her he was to be married to that…that witch! Fury taking over her actions, she kicked the window seat. She threw her doll across the room, and then kicked over her wicker chair. She kicked over her small tea table. In her fit of rage, she packed a small bag and hid it under her bed. She went down for dinner and then was sent off to bed. As soon as everyone was asleep, she took the bag and crawled out her window. She wasn't going back_

_She walked and walked into the woods, towards mother's grave._

_"What are you doing?"_

_She whipped around. "Mother? Is it that you?" Her eyes fell upon the tree. She rubbed her eyes, almost certain she hadn't seen properly. Her mother was coming out of the tree._

_"Not me, but my spirit,"_

_"Oh mother!" she cried, throwing herself down. "What do I do? I hate the woman father wants to marry! I hate her daughters! 'Be nice' father says, but I just can't! I don't want to live there any longer! I wish you were still here!"_

_"Now my child, there are some wishes that can't be granted," her mother said. "But you may wish upon my tree. Ask the tree, and you shall have your wish,"_

_"Really?" the girl said. "I wish – "_

_"But wait," her mother said. "You must think of the consequence of your wish. Will your wish hurt other people? Will it affect the future?"_

_"I don't care!" she cried. "I want that woman and her daughters gone! I wish – "_

_"Please, my child," her mother said sadly. "Don't you remember what I told you? You must be good, like I've always taught you. Don't you want your father to be happy? You aren't the only one who has been terribly lonely,"_

_"But mother, I don't love her! She can't be my mother!"_

_"But think of your father," she said again. The girl felt ashamed of herself._

_"I'm sorry," she said. "I was being selfish. You're right. I want father to be happy,"_

_"Good. You are a good girl," her mother smiled. "If you ever feel terribly sad, then come right back here, and I will grant you your wishes,"_

_"I will," the girl stood up. "Thank you mother,"_

_Mother said be good, father said be nice…_


	17. Chapter 17

_Hello all! I'm so glad you're all enjoying this so much! Be patient my fellow Bakerella shippers. Good things come to those who wait ;) Please review!_

* * *

"So even though her wish would have hurt her father, she was ready to wish it anyway," Cinderella said. "Do you know who that girl is?"

Jack shrugged, but Red looked at her with tears in her knowing eyes. "It's you," Red said.

"That's right,"

"You?" Jack said. "You hurt someone? I don't believe it,"

"That's just the point," Cinderella said. "When people are very sad and lonely, they do things without thinking, even if deep down they know it will hurt people. And what Paul did to the both of you was unfair, and very sad, but you must remember, he was very sad and lonely when he made the decision to bring his wife back,"

They sat there in silence for a long time, and then Jack spoke. "When I heard the steward had killed my mother, I…I wanted to kill him," he said shamefully. "I guess I wasn't thinking either, because I was so sad,"

"You see?" Cinderella said, putting her arm around Jack's shoulders. "It can happen to anyone. We're all just humans," Red suddenly rested her head on Cinderella's shoulder, and Cinderella responded by putting her other arm around her shoulders. "Do you think you can find it in your hearts to forgive him?"

They both nodded, and Cinderella's heart warmed with pride. Suddenly Red burst into tears. "What's wrong?" Cinderella said.

"I just miss my mother…" Red said. Cinderella now wrapped both her arms around Red, and she noticed a single tear rolling down Jack's face. She pulled Jack into her too, and soon all three of them were crying for their mothers.

After a while, they were all silent again, and then finally, as the sun was setting, Red spoke.

"You know, my real name isn't Little Red Riding Hood," she said. "People in the village just call me that. But my mother didn't. Mother called me by my real name," Red looked up at Cinderella. "No one else knows my real name," Red took a deep breath. "I want you to call me by my real name, Cinderella," Tears filled Cinderella's eyes and her heart melted and warmed her entire body. Red cupped her hands to Cinderella's ear and whispered, "My real name is Anna,"

"That's a beautiful name," Cinderella hugged her tighter. "Thank you so much for telling me,"

"I want you to know, because I want you to be my new mother," Red said. And though Cinderella thought it not possible, she felt even more love for the girl. "You're just like she was. You're kind, and wise, and very lovely. She'll always be my real mother, and I'll always love her and miss her, but I want you to take care of me,"

"And I…I thought I didn't need a mother anymore," Jack stammered. "I thought I was a man now. But I guess I do need someone to take care of me, at least for now,"

Cinderella tightly embraced them both. "I love you both, very much,"

"I love you too," Jack said.

"I love you too," Red said. "But may I still call you Cinderella, even though you're my new mother?"

"Of course," Cinderella smiled. "Now, it's gotten quite dark, I think we should head home, don't you think?"

They both nodded. They started to walk home, and although the events of the day were quite sad, Red felt rather happy. She finally had a mother of her own again. But she had been looking forward to having a father and a baby brother. She had always wondered what it would have been like to have a father. She sighed. Now that Sarah was back, she wasn't going to have a father, or a baby brother. And Paul would have been a very good father to her. Cinderella and Paul would be perfect parents. But, as long as Paul was happy, she supposed that was alright.

They reached the house and entered, and Sarah was sitting by the fireplace feeding Peter. She looked up from what she was doing, and her face changed when her eyes fell on the two orphan children standing before her. She stood up walked toward them.

"I…I'm so sorry," she said to the children. "I know how unfair this all seems…I never meant to hurt anyone…I'm so sorry…"

"Please don't cry," Red said suddenly, sounding very concerned.

"We've had enough crying today," Jack said, and Red chuckled. "But it isn't your fault,"

"Yes, you didn't bring yourself back from the dead, did you?" Red said. "Don't cry, please,"

Sarah quickly wiped her eyes. "You are both very special children," she said. "Thank you,"

"You're welcome," Jack said. "Now where's Paul?"

"He went out to search for you," Sarah said, now sounding nervous. "By now he's got to know that you're home," Peter suddenly cried out, and Sarah hurried back to the fireplace and continued feeding him.

Cinderella embraced the children again. "I'm very proud of both of you," she said. "Forgiveness is a very difficult thing,"

Cinderella then gently pushed them toward the back room so they could get ready for bed. She began cleaning up dinner, which had been neglected in the events that happened earlier. She put away uneaten food, and began scrubbing the dishes. After a couple of minutes, the door burst open.

"Paul," Sarah stood up. Paul noticed Cinderella, and his stomach lurched. "They're in the next room," Sarah reassured him.

"Thank goodness," Paul sighed with relief. He went to enter the back room, but Cinderella pt out her arm to stop him.

"They're going to forgive you," she said. "And you must understand how difficult that is for them,"

"I…I do…" he stammered. "Thank you…"

"Go," Cinderella gestured to the door, and Paul entered. Cinderella slowed down her scrubbing so that she could hear their conversation.

"Paul!" Red exclaimed, and she and Jack ran to him.

"Hello children," Paul said. "Why don't we sit down?"

All three of them sat down on Red and Cinderella's bed, with Paul between the two children.

"Now I…I just…" Paul didn't know what to say. "I'm so sorry…this is so unfair to you both…it just isn't right…I wasn't thinking…I'm so sorry…"

"Don't you cry too!" Red said, exasperated. "We forgive you; there isn't any need to cry!"

"Y-you…you do?" Paul stammered.

"Of course," Jack said. "When people are very sad, they don't think right. Remember, I said I wanted to kill the steward? And you wouldn't let me?"

"Yes…I do…" Paul said, remembering the advice he'd given the boy when his mother was killed.

"It's just like that," Jack said. "So we forgive you,"

"Don't cry," Red said again. She slowly reached up and wiped away one of Paul's tears. Paul was overcome with love for the two of them, and he threw his arms around Red. Red was a bit shocked, but still she returned the embrace. Paul let Jack in, and they were all huddled together.

"Thank you, so much," Paul said.

Cinderella smiled to herself. She had done well teaching the children a very difficult lesson. It was in that she realized what a hypocrite she was. She had told the children it was very important to forgive him, yet she couldn't forgive him herself. _Well, this is different._ Cinderella had persistently told herself. Although she knew deep down, it wasn't different at all.

She was only jealous of his wife. She got the baby, and Paul. She was angry at Paul for bringing her back. She glanced over her shoulder at Sarah, who was now rocking Peter to sleep. That should have been her. Paul emerged from the bed room, having put the children to bed. Smiling, he walked over to his wife and gave her a light kiss on the lips. Cinderella's heart mangled in ways she didn't think possible. _That _should have been her.

She wasn't supposed to be back. She was supposed to be dead. That's how things work. People don't just come back from the dead. Cinderella was supposed to comfort Paul until he loved her. That baby should be hers.

Suddenly a loud crash sounded from below her. She looked down, becoming aware of her actions again. She had been so lost in her angry thoughts, that she had broken a plate. She guiltily cleaned up the broken pieces. She shouldn't be feeling this way. She should be happy that things were back to normal; well at least they were for Paul.

Cinderella finished cleaning the dishes and went into the next room. She looked lovingly at the sleeping children. At least Sarah couldn't take them away. She put on her nightgown and crawled into bed with the two of them.


	18. Chapter 18

_Enjoy!_

* * *

And so life went on, and Cinderella became accustomed to Sarah being around the house. At times, she even felt like an intruder, interrupting Paul and Sarah's happily ever after.

From all the gold that Red and Jack had sold, it spread all around, until the economy of the whole kingdom was restored, and maybe even better than before the giant destroyed everything. That meant that people once again had money to buy things like cakes, and pastries, and they were making more money than they ever had.

"Alright," Paul said one night at dinner, which had been made of more food than they'd all eaten in months. "Now that things are back to normal, I've been thinking of making this cottage bigger,"

"That's a wonderful idea," Sarah said.

"We would turn this room into just the bakery, that way it wouldn't look strange that there was a dining table in the bakery. Then we'll turn the back room into the dining room and sitting room, and I'll build two separate bedrooms coming off of that room," Paul smiled at the children. "You and Cinderella in one room, and me, Sarah, and Peter in the other,"

"That sounds lovely," Red smiled. "Will the fireplace still be in here?"

"Well yes, but I'm going to put another one in the back room," Paul said.

"It sounds wonderful Paul," Sarah said. "But how are you going to build all this yourself?"

"Well, I'll hire help of course," Paul said. "The new bedrooms should be finished within a few weeks, if we start tomorrow,"

"Wow," Jack said. "I want to help!"

"Of course you'll help Jack," Paul said.

"What about me?" Red said. "I want to help!"

"You can help by stuffing a mattress and making blankets for a new bed," Paul said. "Cinderella will help you of course. And Sarah, you'll have to take full charge of the bakery while I'm working,"

"Oh how exciting!" Red exclaimed. "I can't wait to get started!"

And so the next day, Paul found help, and he told them all how he envisioned it to look, then the day after that, they got timber and got to work. Red and Cinderella sewed the outline of the mattress and stuffed it, then made sheets and knitted blankets.

The weeks that followed the beginning of this project were all work. Everyone was busy all day, all the time. The only rest they got was at the end of the day. Then finally after a little over a month, everything was finished. The two bedrooms were completed, and a fireplace had been added to the back room.

"Alright Jack," Paul said. "There's one last thing we have to do,"

"Move the furniture?" Jack said.

"That's right!" Paul said. "We'll start with the dining table,"

"We'll get the chairs!" Red said excitedly, grabbing Cinderella's hand and pulling her into the front room. Jack and Paul lifted the table together, and Sarah, Red, and Cinderella brought the chairs in. Then Jack and Paul turned one of the beds on its side and brought it through one doorway, while the three girls did the same with another. Sarah and Cinderella brought Peter's crib into one bedroom while Jack and Paul brought the third bed into the other, and red stayed and arranged the chairs at the table. Paul and Jack each brought an armchair into the back room and put them in front of the new fireplace, and they were done.

Paul stood back and admired the work he and his workers had done. "It's beautiful Paul, everything," Sarah said. "Peter!" she quickly ran to stop Peter from crawling into the fireplace. Peter was now six months old, and he was able to crawl all over the house if he so wished.

"I'll get started on dinner," Cinderella said.

"No, let me," Sarah said.

"No really, I'm fine," Cinderella assured her, again. Sarah had become quite persistent lately that she do all the housework. Every time she went to sweep, or clean windows, or dust or cook meals, Sarah insisted that she do it, or at least help. All of that had always been Cinderella's job, and that's how she intended it to stay.

"At least let me help," Sarah said.

"That's quite alright, I've already got Red helping," Cinderella said. "And you have your hands full with Peter anyway,"

"I suppose you're right," Sarah said, and walked off. Cinderella sighed with relief. _She doesn't hear me asking to help raise Peter now does she?_

Red skipped towards Cinderella. "You want me to help?"

"Of course," Cinderella said. "Someday you'll be a mother too, and you'll always have to cook,"

"You're right, I better start learning now," Red said.

"Thank you, Anna," Cinderella said, and Anna beamed. Whenever it was just the two of them, Cinderella always, without fail, referred to her as Anna instead of Red. But, she always made sure to call her Red when anyone else was around. She absolutely adored it.

They still had to cook in the front room, so when they were finished, they brought everything into the back on large plates, and Red ran back to get silverware and Cinderella got the plates. Paul still hadn't gotten around to making a high chair for Peter, so he sat on Sarah's lap while she fed, or at least tried to feed him mashed up fruits and vegetables. When Sarah finished feeding him, she handed him over to Paul, and began eating her own food.

"We still haven't put the sheets and blankets back on the bed," Red said to Cinderella.

"You're right," Cinderella said. "We'll do that after dinner then,"

"Paul," Sarah said. "We missed Peter's six month birthday. We were all so busy making the house bigger, we forgot,"

"Well, then tonight we'll have a little celebration," Paul smiled.

After dinner, Paul gave each of them a small cupcake, and he plopped a pile of icing in front of Peter. "Happy-half-birthday Peter,"

Sarah kissed his head and watched with amusement as Peter submerged his clumsy hands in icing and licked it all off.

Cinderella put the dishes in the wash basin, and then three women put sheets and blankets on all the beds, and Cinderella returned to the wash basin to wash the dishes. When she reentered the back room, Jack was having a lively conversation with Paul, and Red was playing with Peter in front of the fireplace while Sarah was watching from the armchair, laughing.

Cinderella watched the scene before her. The five of them could have been a family, and a beautiful one. And then there was her. She didn't belong anywhere in this picture. She sadly walked towards the fireplace and sat in the other armchair watching Red and Peter. She was forced to hold a quite awkward conversation with Sarah about the first time Sarah met Paul.

Paul looked over his shoulder at his wife and Cinderella talking, and Red and Peter playing together. Everything seemed right in the world.

"…don't worry though," Sarah said to Cinderella. "Your 'prince' will come someday,"

"It already has," Cinderella said, absentmindedly staring at Paul.

"What do you mean?" Sarah said.

"The prince…I _was_ his wife," Cinderella sighed. Sarah's face went whiter than a ghost. "Then he met another woman in the woods, and I told him I never wanted to see him again,"

"Oh…I'm sorry about that," Sarah sputtered. "Oh Peter be careful," she said, desperate to change the subject. "Children will be children. It was very wonderful of you and Paul to take in those two the way you did,"

"Well, where else would they have gone?" Cinderella said. "They were both orphans. We couldn't just leave them,"

"You suddenly became the mother of three children," Sarah shook her head in disbelief. "I don't know how you did it,"

"I don't either. Somehow I just knew," Cinderella said, smiling at Red, her Anna.

"That little girl seems quite drawn to you," Sarah said with a glance at Red.

"She's so sweet," Cinderella said. "She loves me very much, and I love her even more than that,"

"That's wonderful," Sarah said.

"Your son is wonderful," Cinderella said. "In those months that I acted as his mother, I simply fell in love with him. I'd do anything for that boy," Cinderella said, remembering the journey she'd made to the castle, and what the prince had threatened her with. "I _have_ done everything for him,"

"Thank you so much…again, for everything you've done for my family," Sarah said. Just then, Peter started crying, and Red lifted him up to Sarah. "Hello my angel," Sarah said, and she gave him a toy, which he gratefully began gnawing on with his teething gums. "Here, why don't you hold him," Sarah placed Peter in Cinderella's lap, and Cinderella beamed.

"Hello there," Cinderella said. "He's beautiful," Cinderella marveled.

"Thank you," Sarah said.

"He's got Paul's eyes," Cinderella lost herself in Peter's beautiful chocolate brown eyes. "You're very lucky,"

"Well thank you," Sarah said.

_Very lucky indeed_…Cinderella's eyes wandered to Paul, who was simply sitting there, yet he looked as handsome as ever. She quickly turned her attention back to Peter before Sarah caught her staring at her husband. Cinderella noticed Sarah's hand fall gently to her stomach, and Cinderella's eyes widened, her heart stopping.

This was it. That was the baby girl the witch wanted. Cinderella absolutely dreaded the day that Sarah would tell Paul, all excited, and then Paul would have to give her the heart wrenching news.

Everyone went to bed with high spirits that night, all but Cinderella.

"Good night Anna," she whispered to Anna and kissed her head, just like she always did.

"Goodnight," Anna smiled.

Cinderella's sleep was plagued with nightmares that night, the same nightmare that always left her feeling disgusting, and terribly violated.

The next morning, everyone rose like they normally did. Cinderella cooked breakfast, and Sarah mashed up fruit for Peter. They all sat and ate their food, chattering excitedly, all but Cinderella.

"Are you feeling alright, dear?" Sarah asked her quietly.

"What? Oh, yes I'm fine," Cinderella said quickly as she cleared the table. This time, Sarah didn't offer to help. The children ran outside to do their chores and Cinderella began scrubbing the dishes. Neither Sarah nor Paul came into the front to prepare the bakery for opening. Cinderella's stomach flipped uncomfortably, as she knew what was coming.

"Paul?" Sarah nervously approached her husband, tears brimming her eyes.

"Is everything alright?" Paul rushed to her side, worry clouding his face.

"Yes...everything is wonderful..." Sarah said breathlessly. "Paul, I think I'm pregnant,"

"Sarah…that's…" Paul's face had lit up for a split second, and then a memory set in with a sickening feeling. How could he have been so careless?

_"Please…there has to be something else I can give you…"_

_"Well…" she witch said thoughtfully. "I could make a deal with you,"_

_"You could?"_

_"When your wife comes back, you are to have another child…a girl," she said. "Give her to me,"_

_"Yes, that's fine!" Paul said._

_"But you do know that there isn't any way you can get out of it. No matter how attached you get to the child, no matter how much you beg, or where you hide, I'll find you. And I will get the child. Understand?"_

_"I understand perfectly,"_

"That's…" Paul still wouldn't say anything to his wife. His head was spinning, and he felt as though he could vomit. He could hardly even look at her. He was beyond ashamed of himself. Did he dare tell her? If he did, he would make her completely miserable for months. He could just enjoy the last couple of months he had with her…

_How could I have been so stupid? I should have known this would tear her apart…I mustn't tell her…not yet…_

"That's…that's wonderful!" Paul put on the happiest face he could muster in such a horrible situation. He threw his arms around his wife's waist and she wrapped her arms around his neck. Paul lifted her up and spun her around. He put her back down again and Sarah pressed her lips against his, joy simply radiating from her beautiful face.

"I'm so happy," Sarah sputtered, tears of joy sliding down her cheeks. "When I was pregnant with Peter…I never thought I'd be so happy ever again. Well, I was wrong,"

Paul couldn't stand any more. He had begun shaking at the sight of his wife so joyously happy. He threw his arms around his wife again to hide his devastated face and his shaking body.

"I…I'm h-happy too," Paul said, desperately trying to hide his despair.

Sarah kissed Paul again and went to pick up Peter. "You're going to be a big brother," she said to him. "You're going to have a little brother, or a sister," Sarah's face lit up. "Oh, I hope it's a girl, don't you?" she turned to Paul, who nodded stiffly, quickly forcing a smile. Despite how obvious it was that Paul was on the verge of hysterics, Sarah didn't notice a thing. She turned her attention back to Peter, far too happy in the present moment to notice anything wrong with Paul.

"If it was a girl, I could make dresses for her," Sarah said excitedly. "I could comb her hair, and do all sorts of lovely things with it. I'd teach her to sew and cook and clean. What if she looked just like me?" Sarah had the wonderful image of a little-girl version of herself helping her around the house and playing with her. "Oh, how wonderful!" Sarah sighed. "Of course, it would be wonderful for another son as well. Peter would have a brother, a playmate! How does that sound?" Sarah said to Peter. She kissed her son's head and then skipped back to Paul. She kissed him once again, still not noticing the shaking, or even the tears in his eyes, and she hurried into the front room to open up the bakery.

Cinderella had been quietly scrubbing dishes, and she was putting them away when Sarah emerged from the back room, a radiant smile on her pretty face.

"Congratulations," Cinderella said, forcing a smile.

"Oh? Oh! Thank you," Sarah beamed. "Isn't it wonderful?"

"Yes, it truly is,"

"Oh, would you mind taking Peter? We have a customer coming in," Sarah handed her son to Cinderella and went to help the wealthy looking woman who had just entered the shop.

Cinderella hurried into the back room and stopped abruptly at the sight before her. Paul was curled up on the floor in absolute hysterics. Cinderella rushed to put Peter in his cradle then hurried back to Paul's side. She kneeled down beside him and carefully touched his shoulder.

"Paul…?"

"You were right," Paul said. "I can't believe I was so stupid,"

"Paul, you weren't thinking right, and – "

"Did you see her face?" Paul shouted suddenly, whipping his head up to bore his bloodshot eyes into Cinderella. She nearly jumped back, her face pale with fear and surprise. "She…she looked so happy…" he lowered his voice again. "A girl…a little girl she wants…" he broke down into sobs again, and Cinderella simply sat there helplessly, wishing there was something she could do.

"There, there," Cinderella gently put her hand on his back, and she felt a strange warmth spread up her arm. "Maybe there's another way…"

"No…the witch said she would find her…my daughter…my baby girl…" Paul was absolutely distraught. He suddenly sat up straight and Cinderella tore her hand away from. "I have to go,"

He stood up and ran out into the front room, then out the front door.

"Wait!" Cinderella cried. She ran as fast as she could after him, but stopped after she got off the porch, realizing it was no use. She sadly turned around and went back inside, and Sarah had crossed towards the door.

"What is he doing?" Sarah asked, quite confused.

"Um…well…he…" Cinderella quickly thought of something to tell her. "It's a surprise,"

"Oh," Sarah said, a sly grin appearing on her face. _It must be for the baby._ Sarah thought to herself, and her radiant smile returned.

Cinderella rushed back to the back room and took Peter from his cradle and threw herself onto an armchair. A dagger flew into her chest and tears built in her eyes at the thought of Paul being so miserable. He was going to be that way for quite some time, perhaps even the rest of his life, and there was nothing she could do about it.


	19. Chapter 19

_To answer a guest's question: I assumed that since most people's homes got destroyed by the giant, so did Jack's house, therefore killing the hen that lays golden eggs. Very good question though! Thanks so much!_

* * *

The children had returned inside and Sarah had given them the news. The house was now full of soaring spirits, all but Cinderella. The children ran back outside to play and climb trees like they usually did on nice days such as that one. The day went on, and Paul had only returned in time for supper.

"Where have you been all day?" Sarah asked, sitting down with Peter in her lap while Cinderella served dinner.

"I was just um…" Paul couldn't think of what to say. Cinderella mouthed "For the baby," from behind Sarah, and Paul caught on. "Just…well…it's a surprise,"

"Oh," Sarah laughed.

Dinner was full of excited chatter, coming mostly from Sarah and the children. Red was excited to have somewhat of a little sister. She was quite convinced it would be a girl.

After dinner, Cinderella was washing dishes, while the rest went into the back room, but Paul hung back.

"What are you going to do?" Cinderella said, setting aside the dishes for a moment.

"What else is there to do?" Paul said. "I have to face it. All day I've been sitting in the woods thinking about just that. I've accepted the fact that I won't have a daughter, and that my wife is going to die…again,"

"Oh my…" Cinderella said. "How do you know…?"

"After our daughter is taken, she'll realize what a waste it'll be for her to be alive," Paul said painfully. "She'll want to die, before anything else bad happens. Death shouldn't be cheated. I'm surprised nothing disastrous has happened yet. Sarah is to give birth, the baby will be taken, and Sarah will die, and things will continue as they did before,"

"It's going to be absolutely horrible…" Cinderella said.

"It's my own fault," Paul said. "I have to face the problems I created,"

"Paul…" Without thinking, Cinderella wrapped her arms around him. He returned the embrace, and then Cinderella let go and nervously cleared her throat. "Things will be right in the end. And no matter how long it takes for you to be alright again, I'll be here, the whole time,"

Paul simply nodded and disappeared into the back room.

And so the months went on, and Sarah's stomach grew, as did Peter. He was crawling all over the place now, getting into all sorts of trouble. He learned his first word, "Mama". He crawled around the house repeating the word over and over.

And despite what Cinderella had expected, Paul seemed quite happy. He was determined to make the last few months with his wife the best of his life. He forced himself to be happy, and after all, he should. For all his wife knew, he had a baby on the way, and he already had a beautiful son.

During the day, Paul forced himself to forget that it would all be gone in a few months. He took Sarah and Peter on picnics, and sometimes just Sarah. He took the children and Cinderella swimming and fishing in the creek nearby. Cinderella went on picnics with the children. She and Anna grew closer and closer, and once, Anna even mistakenly called her mother.

"I had a lovely time today," Anna had said to her after one of their picnics. This particular picnic had been just the two of them.

"I did too," Cinderella said.

"Thank you mother," Anna said, and then gasped. "I'm sorry…I…"

"It's alright," Cinderella put her arm around her.

"No…no it isn't," Anna said. "If I call you mother, it's like I'm replacing my real mother,"

"Oh Anna," They stopped walking and Cinderella knelt down so that she was level with her. "That isn't true, not at all. Your mother is always going to be your mother, and you'll always love her. But if you'd really like to, you can call me mother. It doesn't mean anything, other than me and you getting even closer,"

Anna looked at her thoughtfully. "I suppose you're right," she said. "So I can call you mother?" Cinderella nodded. "Good," Anna threw her arms around Cinderella, and she returned the embrace. "I love you…mother,"

"I love you too Anna,"

Jack did envy the bond the two shared, but he was too old for a new mother now. He was becoming a man. But he had no one to show him how. Paul was too busy with his own son and his wife. But the two were good friends, and Paul gave Jack advice whenever he got the chance.

Sarah was now six months pregnant, and Peter would soon be having his first birthday. Sarah had been working very hard on new clothes for him, and Paul had been working on a rocking horse. The night before his birthday, Paul baked a cake and he and Sarah had iced it together.

Peter's birthday was a joyous day for the whole household. They had dinner, and then sang to Peter and Sarah helped him blow out his candle. They each had a piece of cake (or two, in Red and Jack's case), and they watched amusedly as Peter picked up clumps of cake in his clumsy fists and smeared it all over his face, only actually getting just a little bit of it into his mouth.

When presented with his rocking horse, Peter had stood up, and Sarah gasped and reached out to hold him up, but he supported himself with the rocking horse.

"He's fine," Paul said to Sarah. Sarah smiled and lifted him onto the horse and rocked him back and forth, and Peter giggled wildly.

"He loves it," Sarah said. "He stood up by himself; do you think he'll walk soon?"

"I don't know," Paul shrugged.

"Well let's see," Sarah took him off the horse and put him in a standing position. She held onto his hands and waited for him to do something. Peter looked up at the adults and older children around him with confusion.

"Come on Peter, walk," Red urged him. "Like this," She slowly picked up her foot and put it back down. Peter's face screwed up in concentration and he lifted his foot and put it back down. He did the same with the other foot, and Sarah beamed.

"You can do it," Sarah urged him. "Come on,"

Peter tried to take another step, but this time he landed on his heel and fell backward. Sarah stopped him from falling though, and she picked him up and kissed his head. "That's alright," she laughed. "We'll try again tomorrow,"

Despite the terrible fate that lie ahead for everyone, Paul was genuinely happy. He had almost forgotten what was to come.

Cinderella went to bed that night quite sad, despite the happy occasion. When Peter was still a tiny thing, she had always thought of helping Peter take his first steps. She put that out of her head. Peter would soon be hers again, although she felt horrible about it.

The next three months went by much too fast for Paul's liking, and soon Sarah was so big she could hardly move. Sarah had been knitting and sewing pink things. She had a good feeling that it would be a girl, and if it wasn't she would simply sell the things she'd made and have the boy use Peter's old things.

Peter had outgrown his cradle and now slept between his parents. Sarah had put all the pink things she had made into the cradle, eagerly awaiting the day her daughter (or son) would be born.

Paul knew his days of blissful happiness with his wife were soon to be over. Every day he braced himself for the last day until finally it came.

Sarah was trying to get Peter to walk again. He was getting better at it every day, and soon he would do it on his own. Suddenly she felt a sharp pain in her stomach, and her hands flew to her stomach and Peter fell forward onto the floor. Peter let out a cry and Paul scooped him up and tried to comfort him.

Sarah gasped and looked down at the puddle she was standing in. "Paul," she said nervously. "The baby's coming,"


	20. Chapter 20

_Hello! Just a note: Tomorrow I'm going to Disneyland and won't be home until September 8th. Don't be afraid to leave reviews though! I'll still see them, I just won't be able to update until September 8th! Thank you!_

* * *

Paul's stomach lurched and his heart stopped. This was it. It was all over. Tears built up in his eyes, and suddenly Sarah cried out. Paul snapped back to the present. He still had to help this baby be born. The children and Cinderella came running in, and Red and Cinderella gasped.

"Jack, fetch the midwife, and hurry," Jack ran out of the room and out the front door. "Cinderella, get a warm, damp rag. Red, take Peter and watch him closely," Cinderella ran to fetch the rag and Red sat down in an armchair with Peter in her lap. Sarah cried out in pain again and Paul helped her into the bedroom and laid her down.

"You're going to be fine," Paul said, despite the lump in his throat. "You've done this before,"

"I…I know," Sarah panted. "I just – AGH!"

"Shh, just relax," Paul knelt at her side and took her hand in his. "It'll be fine,"

Cinderella then arrived with the rag and Jack appeared behind her with the midwife. Jack went into the front room and helped the waiting customers, apologizing and explaining why the wait was so long. Red tried to keep Peter busy, although he couldn't help but notice the way his mother was screaming.

"Mama," Peter crawled towards the bedroom door.

"Mama's fine," Red said, grabbing Peter and picking him up and carrying him away from the door. Sarah then screamed again, and tears started flowing from the child's eyes.

"It's alright," Red said bouncing him up and down on her knee. "Mama is going to be fine,"

But Peter was now wailing, and Red didn't know how to calm him down. Sarah cried out again, and Red thought that if she brought Peter outside, he wouldn't hear his mother screaming and he might calm down.

"Alright, let's go outside now," Red carried him outside.

* * *

Meanwhile, Paul was kneeling by his wife, squeezing her hand. He had begun uncontrollably sobbing.

"She'll be fine!" the midwife assured him.

Paul nodded, but he knew very well that things would not be fine. Cinderella was assisting the midwife and keeping Sarah calm, being that Paul was in no state to. Paul kissed Sarah's hand over and over, trying to keep himself together.

Red had made dinner for the whole family, even though no one but her Jack and Peter would be eating. The baby would have to be born soon, right? And then everyone would eat, and Cinderella would be very pleased with her for making dinner and taking care of Peter all day.

"I can see the head!" the midwife said. "Just keep pushing, dear,"

"I can't…I can't do it…"

"Yes, you can," Cinderella said. "I know you can. Come on, push,"

"Paul what is wrong?' Sarah demanded. "Something is wrong! What's wrong with my baby?"

"Nothing is wrong!" the midwife said, bewildered as to why the man was in hysterics. "You have to push dear, come on!"

Sarah screamed again and pushed as hard as she could.

"Good!" the midwife said. "One more push! You can do it!"

"Come on Sarah, one more," Cinderella sad, although her heart sank. The witch would soon be upon them.

Sarah screamed louder than ever and gave one final push, and suddenly a small cry rang through the room.

"It's a girl!" the midwife beamed. She wiped down the baby with a rag, and then wrapped her in the pink blanket that lie draped over the cradle. "And she's perfectly healthy,"

Sarah reached out and the midwife placed the baby in her arms. "She's beautiful," she said and tears rolled down her face.

The midwife left, and Cinderella found the children asleep in the next room, Peter crawling around. She picked Peter up and woke the other two.

"I'm sorry," Red said. "It's just so late…I don't know how Peter is still awake…is the baby born? Is it a girl?"

"Yes…" Cinderella panted, although her mind was elsewhere.

"How wonderful! Can we see her?" Red asked excitedly.

"Just…just wait…" Cinderella said.

"What's wrong?" Red's smile disappeared.

"Nothing," Cinderella said quickly. "I see you made dinner," she quickly changed the subject.

"Oh, yes," Red's smile reappeared. "Jack helped of course,"

"Well let's eat then,"

"Well, I already ate, but I'm hungry again," Red said, sitting down with Cinderella.

Jack however, was not convinced that there was nothing wrong. He went into his, Red's and Cinderella's bedroom and shut the door. He pressed his ear against the wall to listen to what was going on.

* * *

"Oh Paul…she's so beautiful," Sarah said, kissing her baby's head. Sarah then looked at her husband. "Paul, you've been crying this whole time…what on earth is wrong?"

"I…" Paul lost control again and broke down into sobs again. "Sarah…you have to understand that I only did it for you…"

"Paul?" Sarah said nervously. "What are you talking about?"

"The witch who brought you back…" Paul sobbed. "She needed something in return and…"

"Paul…_what_ are you talking about?" Sarah asked again.

"First she asked for Peter, and I couldn't let her have him," Paul continued. "But then she…she…"

"No," Sarah said. She refused to believe what she was about to hear. "You didn't…"

"I did!" Paul cried. "I'm so sorry…it was the only way to get you back…"

"No…" Sarah's chest began heaving. "**_NO!_**" she shrieked.

"I'm so sorry…"

"How _could_ you?" she screamed. "How could you _do_ this?" her face was red, and there was a lump forming in her throat.

"It was the only way – "

"Only way for what?" she said accusingly. "To save me from the dead? Well that's just what I was Paul! _Dead!_ That's how I was supposed to stay!" tears were rolling down her cheeks. "You aren't supposed to play around with death!" A sob escaped her lips. "And now…now I have to give up my baby…my beautiful baby girl…" she began hysterically crying. "Hold me…"

Paul sat on the bed and cradled his hysterical wife who cradled the sleeping baby. "I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…" Paul mumbled over and over.

"I…I wish I were dead…" Sarah said.

Paul had been expecting it, but still, as she said, ten millions daggers flew into his heart.

"If I were dead this wouldn't have happened…" she said. "Bad things are going to happen…I need to die Paul…I'm so sorry…"

They sat there crying in each others arms until they cried themselves to sleep.

* * *

Jack sat against the wall bewildered. Cinderella and Red had come in.

"What's happening?" Red asked. She and Cinderella had heard the shouting and crying.

"The witch…he…" Jack sputtered.

"Mother, why can't we see the baby?" Red asked. "What is happening?"

"Paul promised the baby to the witch," Jack stuttered.

Red gasped and clamped her hand over her mouth. She shook her head in disbelief and tears built up in her eyes. She buried her face in Cinderella and Cinderella wrapped her arms around her.

"You knew," Jack said. "You knew all this time, didn't you?"

"Yes…I did," Cinderella said. "I tried to stop him from doing it…I really did…"

"It's ridiculous," Jack said. "Sarah said…she said…" Jack found himself unable to continue. Cinderella put the sleeping Peter down on Jack's bed and pulled him into an embrace. "She said she _wanted _to die. How terrible can a person feel to actually _want_ to die?" he sobbed into her.

"Shh, it's alright," Cinderella stroked Jack's and Red's hair, although there were tears pouring out of her own eyes. "I know this is all very horrible, but everything is going to be alright. It's going to be hard, and very, very long, but things will be alright. It always is,"

Jack then wriggled out of the embrace and wiped his eyes quickly, ashamed to be crying over something that hardly even concerned him. He got into bed beside Peter.

Cinderella got into bed with Anna and kept her arms around her, and Anna nestled her head into Cinderella's neck.

"It's so horrible…" Red said.

"I know…" Cinderella said, kissing her head. "Just try to sleep…"


End file.
